BREAKING NEWS

Vilnai: IDF acted correctly with Egyptian infiltrators

By JPOST.COM STAFF

NOVEMBER 24, 2011 07:32

The IDF acted accordingly on Wednesday night when they identified Beduin smugglers trying to cross illegally into Israel from Egypt, Homefront Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Israel Radio Thursday morning.

Vilnai noted that Beduin smugglers attempting to infiltrate the Israeli border is a regular occurrence.

When asked whether Israel should deploy more soldiers on the border with Sinai, Vilnai responded that "we always lack soldiers near Sinai."

"It's like money," the home front defense commander said. "We could always use more."

Vilnai failed to say whether this specific incident, in which two Egyptian soldiers were killed by Beduin in a gun battle that occurred shortly after the exchange of fire with IDF soldiers, would have a negative impact on Israeli relations with Egypt.

According to Vilnai, the Arab Spring revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak, and which may pave the way for an Egyptian government heavily influenced by Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, guarantees that relations with Israel will never be "what they once were."

He warned, however, that Israel, the US, or any other foreign party should not attempt to intervene in internal Egyptian affairs. Such intervention, Vilani said, would be a "bad mistake."

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