Steinitz: Egypt wants to see us bleed
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN The Jerusalem Post Sep. 2, 2004
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Egypt's policy toward arming Palestinians is just like Syria's arming of
Hizbullah, only the Egyptians are going about it more quietly said the
chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yuval
Steinitz.

Steinitz said the Egyptians continue to allow arms to be smuggled to the
Palestinians because they are interested in the continuation of the
Israeli -Palestinian conflict.

"Its crystal clear that Egypt supports terrorism against Israel by enabling
Hamas and others to transform Sinai into their logistical rear," Steinitz
told The Jerusalem Post. "The real policy of Egypt is to get the Israelis
and Palestinians to bleed together."

According to data provided by Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter, in the past 18
months Egypt has allowed arms smugglers in the Sinai to bring 5,000 rifles,
330 anti-tank rocket launchers, several hundred RPG rockets, many mortars,
and millions of bullets and other kinds of munitions into the West Bank and
Gaza Strip.

"You don't take 5,000 Kalashnikovs in a few suitcases. You take them with
many, many trucks and jeeps. So it is not something that a country can
ignore," Steinitz said.

Steinitz, who said he is in favor of the disengagement from the Gaza Strip,
said he is against moves by the defense establishment to alter the peace
treaty with Egypt to allow higher quality troops to patrol the frontier.

"It is not a question of capability, but one of willingness," he said,
adding that arms interceptions needed to take place deep in the Sinai.

In an interview with Israel Radio, Steinitz went further and urged that even
military pressure needed to be used against Egypt and Syria to make them
cease their support of Palestinian terror.

"We have not succeed in putting red lines before Arab states regarding their
support for terror. If we really want to beat terror we have to use
diplomatic, economic and military measures to pressure Egypt to finally halt
smuggling from the Sinai, " Steinitz
said.