TEL AVIV // Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's ultranationalist foreign minister, said yesterday there was "no chance" his country would agree to amend its historic peace treaty with Egypt, in a statement that could escalate tensions.
Mr Lieberman's comment comes days after an adviser to Mohammed Morsi, the Egyptian president, said it was "a matter of time" before the pact is changed to bolster Egypt's control over the Sinai peninsula, which borders Israel.
Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries to have signed peace agreements with Israel, and the 1979 treaty between the Israelis and Cairo is considered a cornerstone of regional peace.
Officials in the government of Mr Morsi have said they want to revise the pact to allow Egypt to bring more troops into Sinai, which under the agreement is largely demilitarised, to fight increasing violence there.
Israel is concerned, however, that making such changes permanent would endanger its security and leave its 250-kilometre border with Egypt vulnerable should ties with Cairo deteriorate.
Analysts say Israel is also worried that allowing changes to the pact's security annex would open the possibility for Egypt to request more controversial revisions.
Mr Lieberman said: "There is no chance that Israel would agree to any kind of change" to the agreement. He added that the Egyptians "should not rely on this demand".
He suggested that Egypt may not be sufficiently prepared to fight the lawlessness in Sinai. He said: "The problem in Sinai is not the size of the forces, it is their readiness to fight, to put pressure and to carry out the job as is needed."
Violence along the Israeli-Egyptian frontier as well as within Sinai has been a key source of anxiety for both Israel and Egypt since the uprising that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year.
On Friday, an Israeli soldier on the border was killed and another wounded by militants wearing explosive belts who infiltrated into Israel. Yesterday, an Islamist group, Ansar Bayt Al Maqdes, claimed responsibility for the attack.
A statement from the group said the killings were in response to the anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslim that spurred protests across the Muslim world.
There have been at least four such cross-border strikes in the past year targeting Israeli soldiers. The pipeline delivering gas from Egypt to Israel has also been repeatedly attacked and rockets have been fired from Sinai into Israel. Egypt has also been targeted, with 16 of its soldiers killed by Islamist gunmen in August.
Until recently, Sinai, which Israel returned to Egypt in 1979, was a relatively peaceful region. However, in the past few years and especially since Mr Mubarak was toppled, it has become volatile as groups inspired by, or with loose ties to Al Qaeda, became more active there.
Israel has allowed Egypt to bolster its military presence in Sinai in recent months as a temporary measure.
In August, Egyptian troops moved into the most sensitive zone in Sinai near the Israeli border in a coordinated exercise with Israel.
But Israeli experts are divided on whether Israel should make permanent changes to the pact.
Elie Podeh, a professor of Middle East studies at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, said Israel should continue negotiating temporary revisions.
"In light of the changes in the Middle East, Israel needs to be more cautious," he said. "Today the ties with Egypt are very delicate and the potential for deterioration is very much there."
Avraham Sela, an Israeli expert on Israeli-Egyptian relations, said Israel and Egypt shared a mutual interest to stem violence in Sinai and that Israel should be open to a stronger Egyptian presence.
He added, referring to Mr Lieberman's statements: "This Israeli government is a master at creating an atmosphere of hysteria. The Egyptian requests are quite modest at the moment and Israel should sit down with Cairo and find a way to respond to the real threats from Sinai."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Super Rugby play-offs
Quarter-finals
- Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
- Lions 23, Sharks 21
- Chiefs 17, Stormers 11
Semi-finals
Saturday, July 29
- Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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