Just what we don't need

Submitted by Ken Besig (Israel), Feb 11, 2009 at 12:37

At the moment we have a Palestinian terrorist army in the Gaza Strip and Yehuda/Shomron threatening our People and our State. However, this terrorist army is badly trained, lightly armed, intermittently paid, and largely distrusted by it's own population. Thus it represents no serious existential threat to Israel, and Israel can retaliate against it, or take reprisal actions, with little or no fear of any serious escalation by the Palestinians or even a serious military reaction against Israel.

Now let us contrast that with the presence of real Egyptian and Jordanian military forces in these two regions. Not only would they be better trained and armed, they would also be just as antagonistic towards Israel as the Palestinians. Thus rather than prevent Palestinian terror attacks on Israel, these forces would very likely support them with explosives and weaponry and encourage them psychologically. Worse, these foreign forces would be the best "human shields" possible, since the Israeli killing of an Egyptian or Jordanian soldier even accidentally, during any security operation would perforce create an international diplomatic incident, and possibly widen into a real give and take battle between Israel and the other side. In all events however, the presence of those forces would certainly prevent Israeli security forces from arresting or killing terrorist gangs enjoying the jurisdiction of those Egyptian and Jordanian security forces.

I would also point out that as the result of the Israeli Jordanian and Israel Egyptian peace treaties, neither Jordan nor Egypt may bring their armies within a certain buffer zone on Israel's border. Jordan of course may not bring soldiers, artillery, or tanks within a certain number of kilometers of the Jordan River, and Egypt may not bring heavy weapons at all, or more than 750 lightly armed policemen into the Sinai Peninsula. There are international forces in both places to make sure that this part of the treaties are absolutely and strictly honored. These treaty provisions are not to be taken lightly, since they are an important part of what has kept Israel, Jordan, and Egypt from going to war for decades now. As an Israeli citizen I strongly recommend that these treaties not be re negotiated with the intention of bringing hundreds if not thousands of Egyptian or Jordanian military forces within striking distance of the heartland of Israel.

Perhaps you say, things are different now, and we can trust to the goodwill of the Egyptian and Jordanian governments and trust their promises to protect Israel and Israelis. That's fine for you who don't live here, but for me, I would rather trust my Israel Defence Forces to protect me, thank you very much!

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