“Mazuz snubs Knesset
by Ilan Marciano

There is no need to first get Knesset approval to change the terms of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty of 1979 in order to allow for an Egyptian force to patrol the Philadelphi route on the Egypt-Gaza border, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said Thursday” – Yediot Ahronot, July 9th, 2005

When Israel withdrew from Sinai and transferred the peninsula to Egyptian control, we relinquished an area three times the size of modern day Israel.

Israel also handed over oil wells, uranium and coal deposits, beautiful tourist attractions; thriving settlements were uprooted. Some of those who were evacuated from the Sinai settlement of Yamit are currently slated for evacuation from Gush Katif.

If Israel gained anything in the peace treaty with Egypt, it was the demilitarization of east Sinai. Then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who was willing to give up everything and even recognize – for the first time – the Palestinians’ right to “autonomy,” insisted on the demilitarization principle.

Since then the Egyptians have done everything in their power to take full control over Sinai, and today, just so he may destroy more Jewish settlements in Gush Katif and withdraw from the Philadelphi Route, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is willing to let them realize their ambitions.

Initially Sharon was willing to permit the Egyptians to station one commando support unit in the area, but later he authorized the deployment of another 5,000 Egyptian troops, equipped with armored vehicles, helicopters and anti-tank missiles, not only along the Philadelphi Route but also along the entire Israeli-Egyptian border.

And all this for what? So they would replace the Egyptian police officers that are stationed along the border in accordance with the peace treaty.

IDF Intelligence Chief Aharon Zeevi-Farkash told the Knesset there has been no weapons-smuggling from Egypt to Gaza during the past two months; meaning: The Egyptian police officers are capable of thwarting smuggling attempts.

However, Sharon is willing to amend the peace treaty’s basic clauses, forgo the demilitarization principle and create a Palestinian-Egyptian border that will not be subject to any restrictions or guidelines emanating from the agreement with Israel.

‘Political considerations at play’

From now on the Egyptians will be able to transfer weapons to Gaza without having to smuggling them through tunnels. Sharon is doing all this so he may disengage from Gaza in peace.

But the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee was not willing to accept Sharon’s ploy. It was clear to its members that his moves constitute a basic change in the peace treaty with Egypt.

According to legal experts who had appeared before the committee, only the Knesset, which approved the peace treaty with Egypt, may authorize any amendments to it. Sharon will probably present other legal experts who will claim that he is right and the Knesset is at fault.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said the deployment of Egyptian troops along the border does not constitute an essential change in the peace treaty, but even one prominent legal expert does not back his notion.

When Mazuz said at the time that Sharon should not be tried for his role in the Greek Island scandal, he did this against the opinion of then-State Prosecutor and current High Court Judge Edna Arbel. To this day Mazuz is having trouble proving his decision was devoid of political considerations.

When expert civil servants are willing to sacrifice their professionalism and distort their judgment to support their political views, they are not worthy of the public’s trust.

This article ran in Yediot Ahronot on July 10th, 2005

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR