'Egypt arrests 2 Israelis trying to infiltrate border'

The two were reportedly attempting to illegally cross from Sinai into Israel with an Eritrean man through a smuggling route.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Eritrean migrants in Sinai 311 (R) (photo credit: Asmaa Waguih / Reuters)
Eritrean migrants in Sinai 311 (R)
(photo credit: Asmaa Waguih / Reuters)
Two Israeli citizens were arrested by Egyptian security forces in the Sinai Peninsula for attempting to enter Israel via a smuggling route, Israel Radio reported on Thursday, quoting Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.
According to the report, the Israelis were arrested along with an Eritrean national who was also attempting to illegally cross the border into Israel.
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Last year, an Israeli journalist was detained for over a week in a similar incident.
Yotam Feldman, a journalist for Channel 10 and Haaretz, was arrested by Egyptian authorities in March of last year for attempting to infiltrate the Sinai border with a Ghanaian migrant in an effort to gain first-hand experience on the plight of African refugees attempting to find safe haven in Israel.
Feldman said he was treated roughly while he was held with the refugees, but received better treatment in Cairo. He said the Egyptians make a distinction in their treatment of white people and their treatment of Africans.
Feldman's hand was lightly wounded due to "the brutality of the Egyptian soldiers" and not, as had been reported, while trying to cross a barbed wire fence, he told Army Radio in an interview Monday morning. He said he had been treated before being transferred back to security officials.
Ben Hartman contributed to this report.