This can't be bad news:
JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 - The foreign ministers of Israel and Pakistan met publicly for the first time today, a diplomatic breakthrough brokered by Turkey that appeared to be a first payoff for the Israeli pullout from the occupied Gaza Strip.
The Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, in a jubilant mood, called the meeting at an Istanbul hotel "historic" and "a huge breakthrough."
Interesting that Turkey brokered the meeting. For a while, Turkey and Israel enjoyed a de facto military alliance - one that cooled in recent years. Maybe Turkey is ready to mend some fences?
(If so, Syria is probably more to blame than Sharon's pullout from Gaza is to thank.)
I read somewhere yesterday that Egypt had deployed 30,000 troups to the Gaza border. Looks like the Gaza may be occupied again, but by someone new.
Burt:
Before the 1967 Six Day War, Gaza was part of Egypt. The Egyptians lost Gaza and the Sinai in that war, and Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt in 1981 as a part of the Camp David Accords. Egypt refused to take Gaza back, leaving Israel holding the bag. So, we have seen the situation essentially go full circle.
Via an ISN report:
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman assured Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday that the Egyptian border patrol would work to prevent the smuggling of arms into Gaza, and that the Egyptian military would engage in counter-terrorism operations against militants on the Sinai peninsula.
A new clause has been added to the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel overturning the demilitarization of the Sinai. The amendment, coined an “additional security measure”, was signed on Thursday at an undisclosed military installation in Cairo.
Israeli General Amos Gilad described the pact to Israeli radio as “a very detailed agreement down to the last pistol”.
The Egyptian border patrol will be lightly armed, but will have the use of 31 armored vehicles, six helicopters, and four patrol boats for its anti-smuggling efforts.
The Egyptian border patrol will be deployed along the Philadelphi Route, which is also known as the Salaheddin Corridor, along the Gaza border by Sunday to permit the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
I have to imagine the Israelis would be ecstatic at this point to have Mubarak take responsibility for Gaza.
