Egypt Voids Agreement to Sell Natural Gas to Israel
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The Israeli partner in the company that operates the pipeline that delivers natural gas from Egypt to Israel was notified on Sunday that the agreement has been terminated. The contract was set during the reign of former President Hosni Mubarak and became an issue even before his ouster, with Egypt’s nationalist camp arguing the deal needed to be re-written with terms more favorable to Egypt. Since Mubarak’s removal, the pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula has been sabotaged at least 14 times. The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company [EMG] feed the gas to the pipeline which is operated by the East Mediterranean Gas Company and its Israeli partner, Ampal-American Israel Corporation. The pipeline had been supplying Israel with 40% of its natural gas needs. Beyond the issue of Israel’s natural gas supply, the termination also portends further abrogation of the 1979 treaty between Egypt and Israel. With the rise to power of Islamists, calls for re-working the treaty or ending it altogether are heard frequently. The American administration has warned Egypt’s leaders that ending the treaty could trigger an end to support from the US. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Grand Mufti is being called on to resign because of his trip to east Jerusalem. The religious leader ran afoul of clerics who have banned visits to east Jerusalem as a form of protest over Israeli control of the city. Mufti Ali Gomaa’s [pictured] attempt to assuage critics by saying it was a personal visit appears not to have worked.
Syrian Opposition Charges Al-Asad of Playing Shell Game with UN Observers
Members of Syria’s opposition forces were not impressed that UN observers were allowed by the Al-Asad regime to visit cities under-attack by the Syrian army. They accuse the army of hiding tanks and artillery during the observers’ tours and resuming shelling once they depart. “They” is a force of only 8 out of 30 authorized with plans to increase to 300. The on-again/off-again shelling by Syrian troops is undercutting any remnant of belief that the cease fire brokered by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan can possibly prove to be effective. Fatalities continued to mount on Sunday, with the year-long death toll now well over 9,000 according to United Nations figures. Although the Security Council has authorized an observer force of 300, debate continues over whether a force less than 3,000 is at all feasible. On Sunday, two of the observers were deployed in the city of Homs where they’ll remain for the foreseeable future after residents of the devastated town pleaded with the UN force to stay.
Israel Intercepts Liberian-flagged Freighter Suspected of Carrying Arms to Gaza
The Israeli navy on Sunday boarded a cargo ship flying the flag of Liberia to search for weapons. Israeli sources report the captain of the vessel cooperated and permitted the naval commandoes to carry out the search which ultimately turned up nothing of concern. The ship was intercepted outside of Israel’s territorial limits. The Israeli Defense Forces explained that the operation was a normal activity aimed at preventing weapons from reaching terrorist forces in the Gaza Strip. There was no resistance on-board.
Hamas Education Minister Considering Hebrew Courses for Gaza High Schools
10th and 11th grade students in the Gaza Strip might be learning Hebrew as an elective if the Hamas-loyal Education Minister has his way. The Ma’an news agency is reporting that Minister Ziad Thabit is contemplating the move for the 2013 school year and that curricula are being prepared. According to the news agency, the Hebrew courses are part of a wider move to introduce foreign languages into the schools. Turkish is being considered as well. There are many Hebrew-speakers in the Gaza Strip as a result of Palestinians working for Israelis or having spent time in Israeli jails.
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