– NEW DIMENSION IN THE MEAS”T

Since EGYPT’S III REVOLUTION , in early 07/2013,  a new anti-Muslims Brotherhood coalition is formed in the Middle East to contain the Islamic threat on national identities and on the traditional monarchies of the region. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates, excluding Qatar,  supported financially with $12 billions the collapsing Egyptian economy, equal to 8 years of American Military aid to Egypt. Israel approved the usage of tanks, helicopter gunships and large number of army units to operate in Sinai Peninsula against the conglomerate  of Jihadi and Salafi groups, known as Jaljalat, based in the peninsula and supported by the twin movement of the Muslims Brotherhood in Gaza Strip – the Hamas. Furthermore the Egyptian Army destroyed the Rafah Tunnels and imposed a blockade on Gaza Strip. 

 

The new situation led to a wide military and intelligence cooperation between the Egyptian army, the Egyptian intelligence apparatus and the Israeli counterparts to cope with the common enemy – the Jihadi pro Al Qaeda groups, the Salafi Movement and the legitimation of the Muslims Brotherhood in Egypt and Gaza Strip. The new cooperation to contain the Islamisation of the Middle East is aimed also against Turkey, now a firm supporter of the ‘Brotherhood’. 

 

In a strange twist the Gulf Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel share the same problems – the potential nuclear threat from Iran, the disappointment from the hesitant Obama administration and the fear of Islamic radicalization. It is a base large enough to form a political undeclared axis. 

 

Following an intelligence warning from Egypt Israel closed, on Thursday 08/08/2013 evening, for two hours the Eilat Airport. Eilat, in Southern Israel, a resort town on the Red Sea, was targeted by Jihadists in Sinai Peninsula several times in the past.  The Palestinian Maan news agency reported that, according to high ranking Egyptian army officer, Cairo alerted  Israel to threats made by Sinai Peninsula-based militant groups to attack Israeli targets with 70 km-range rockets.  The Hamas authorities in Gaza Strip produces such rockets, the M-75, which are a copy of the Iranian designed Fajar-5. The rockets, 9 meters long, are carried by a special rocket launcher vehicle.  They can easily target Eilat from deep in Sinai Peninsula (see also – Sinai Junction ).

 

The next day, on Friday 08/09/2013, an aerial missiles strike on a rocket launcher , on the Egyptian side of Rafah, on the border with Gaza Strip, killed at least 5 Jihadists,  while they were preparing to launch rockets into Israel, reports said.. Although it is unclear who committed the attack most security commentators suggest id was carried out by an Israeli UAV drone in full coordination with the Egyptian army in Northern Sinai. 

 

A Jihadi organization “Ansar Bait al–Maqdas” (Soldiers of the Holy Temple) confirmed they were about to fire rockets  to Israel and 4 of his fighters were killed by an Israeli UAV. It is the same organization that already shelled Eilat with rockets in the Past (see – Eilat 04.17.13 ).

 

 

 

• 07/2013 -THE ARABS HANGOVER 
  05/2013 -ISRAELI AIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIZBULLAH IN SYRIA 
  10/2012 -EGYPTIAN JIHADISTS 
  09/2011 -TURKISH OBSESSION

 

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