FM: Egypt more dangerous than Iran

Egypt is a greater threat to Israel than Iran, according to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Lieberman recently sent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a document warning about the potential threat from Israel’s southern border with Egypt.

“The Egyptian issue is much more disturbing than the Iranian problem,” Lieberman said during closed discussions on the topic, according to Ma’ariv.

According to the Hebrew daily, Lieberman believes that Egypt may violate its longstanding peace agreement with Israel and post more troops in the Sinai without permission. In the letter, he reportedly recommends that the prime minister boost the diminished southern command of the IDF and dispatch three or four divisions to the area in preparation for a potential mid-May regime change in Egypt.

Israel and Egypt have enjoyed a cold peace since 1979. But many politicians and experts have warned about possible unrest in the region, as Islamists’ victories in the Egyptian parliamentary elections in January and the difficult economic situation in Egypt might provide fuel for the revolutionary fire.

Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed concerns in 2011 that the revolution in Egypt could lead to a radical Islamic regime on Israel’s southern border.