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As Israel completes work on the Sinai border fence, the defense establishment must look to the eastern border as the next threat, IDF General (res.) Tzvika Fogel warned in an interview with Arutz Sheva.
Fogel, who served as the Head of Southern Command, explained that terrorists now operating in Sinai are likely to circumvent the fence by traveling to Jordan.
Fogel called on the government to respond to the imminent threat from Jordan by building a fence on that border, as well. Years ago he called to build a fence on the Egyptian border, he recalled, “They looked at me like I was crazy, and today everyone is rushing to complete it.
“I recommend building the fence on the Jordan border today, or at the latest, tomorrow,” he added.
Terror in Sinai will remain a threat as well, he said. “Defense of 270 kilometers of terrorist activity is nearly impossible,” he noted, comparing the length of the Egyptian border to the relatively small size of Gaza.
Terrorists have created “a second Lebanon” in Gaza, he said. By taking advantage of the current instability in the area, they have drawn the fight away from Gaza itself, he noted, thus avoiding a situation in which Gaza residents suffer due to their leaders’ attacks on Israel.
Ultimately, Israel will be forced to operate within Sinai, he predicted, just as Israel was ultimately drawn into Lebanon.
If attacks from Sinai grow worse, he warned, Egypt is likely to push for more of its troops to be allowed in the area, in violation of its treaty with Israel. Israel will face international pressure to concede.
Israel could prevent future suffering by hitting Gaza terrorist groups hard today, he declared. However, he said, such action is unlikely, because the public tends to see operations in light of the current situation, without taking future threats into account. If he were Prime Minister he would do it anyway, he said, “I know how to do what is good for the people, not what the people want.”