Gary Fitleberg, December 30, 2003

Israeli officials are expected to protest Egyptian drones, being used to spy on Israeli defense facilities, when Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher El Sayed visits this week.

Amid growing military tensions, Israel reportedly threatened to shoot down the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have been detected in recent weeks over the nuclear research facility at Nahal Sorek and the missile test site at Palmahim, south of Tel Aviv.

The flights contravene the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt and are said to be fuelling the growing distrust between Israel and Egypt over a military build-up.

Israel reportedly asked the U.S. not to supply Egypt with advanced F-15 jets or "smart" JDAM (joint direct attack munition) bombs. After being shown intelligence which revealed that Israel was the "enemy" in all of Egypt's recent war games, the United States froze Cairo's request.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2003 Gary Fitleberg