Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher on Sunday blasted right-wing Israeli Infrastructure Minister Avigdor Lieberman for calling Egypt an "enemy state."
"These statements are silly and not objective. Cairo is turning a deaf ear to the statements of this man; [Lieberman’s] statements even have no reactions inside Israel," Maher was quoted by the official Kuwaiti news agency, KUNA, as telling reporters.
“The peace-loving people in Israel are against Lieberman’s statements,” he added.
Lieberman, speaking to Israel’s Army Radio, called for considering Egypt an "enemy state" and accused President Hosni Mubarak of attempting to destroy the Jewish state.
"Egypt is dealing with Israel in a way harmful to our national pride," said Lieberman.
Meanwhile, according to a press report Sunday, Egypt is mulling sending tanks into the Sinai Peninsula if Israel re-takes the Occupied Territories.
The "Sinai option" of moving the 3rd Armored Army into the peninsula was confirmed by a senior Egyptian security source, who told the English paper, the Sunday Times, that the Israelis had to be deterred from "destroying" the Palestinian Authority and President Yasser Arafat.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Mubarak had stressed that there was still hope of peace if Israel respected its commitments and stopped its rumors and hardline rhetoric against Arabs, and Egypt in particular.
He was referring to threats by key Likud Party figures of destroying the Aswan Dam in Egypt, and continuous references to an alleged medium-range missile program undertaken by Cairo.
The de facto leader of the Arab world also made reference to the reported Israeli plan, revealed by Jane's Information Group, to wipe out Arafat and the PA.
Egypt in 1978 became the first Arab country to sign peace accords with Israel, and arrived at a peace treaty the following year — Albawaba.com
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© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
