Smotrich's Remarks on Sinai Spark Sharp Reactions and Warnings in Egyptian Media
Comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding Sinai drew sharp reactions and threats in Egyptian media, though context shows it was a hypothetical response.
Recent remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula sparked a wave of sharp reactions in the Egyptian media, some including blunt threats against Israel. However, an examination of the full context reveals that Smotrich did not deliver an anti-Egyptian speech nor outline a plan to harm Sinai, but rather referred to it in passing during a broader discussion focused primarily on the war in Gaza and Israel's security achievements.
In a video interview granted from his home to the Haredi website "Harshtiblech", Smotrich was asked about future threats to Israel. When the scenario of an Egyptian attack was raised, he responded: "What will cause Egypt not to attack us? The realization that if they attack us, there will be no Sinai, at least." Immediately afterward, he returned to discussing other arenas and Israel's strategic posture.
In the Arab media, particularly in Egypt, the brief sentence was portrayed in some reports as a "threat to wipe out Sinai" and even as a direct Israeli threat against Egypt. Cairo has not issued an official response.
Pro-establishment Egyptian TV hosts reacted harshly. Ahmed Moussa warned that "if Israel behaves recklessly, there will be no Israeli entity," while Amr Adib stated: "There will be no Tel Aviv, no Ben Gurion Airport, and no Netanyahu." MP and journalist Mustafa Bakri also condemned Smotrich, calling him an "extremist Zionist bully."
Nevertheless, analysts note that the Arabic coverage exaggerated the weight of the sentence. Smotrich used a harsh formulation as a hypothetical answer regarding an Egyptian attack, rather than an explicit initiative to wage war.
