Cairo: This is how we'll wreak diplomatic havoc against Israel
Diplomats: This is how Egypt will wreak diplomatic havoc
Damaged interests in Africa and having Livni declared persona non grata -
hours after Egypt's foreign minister threatens to use diplomatic muscle
against Israel, sources familiar with Israel-Egypt relations tell Ynet
exactly what kind of an impact Jerusalem can expect
Ali Waked YNET Published: 01.01.08, 02:01 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3488903,00.html

Less than a day after Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit threatened
to employ Cairo's diplomatic clout to strike at Israel - sources familiar
with Israeli-Egyptian relations reveal the plan of action to Ynet.

Egypt wields considerable influence in numerous countries all around the
world and has the capability of using that power to damage Israeli
interests, said the diplomatic sources on Monday, particularly stressing
Cairo's sway over the continent of Africa.

"Egypt can strike at Israel on the diplomatic field and have Foreign Affairs
Minister Tzipi Livni declared 'persona non grata' in many nations, as well
as deal a diplomatic blow to Israeli relations with those countries," one
source said.

The source estimated that unless the current level of tension abate,
Egyptian embassies worldwide would be ordered to move to a far more
aggressive brand of diplomacy against Minister Livni and Israel in general.

"One more mistake on Livni's part - as far as Egypt is concerned - will be
one mistake too many and may prove devastating for her and perhaps for the
future of her career," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous.

The boiling point

Egyptian-Israeli ties have been particularly strained since Israel said this
month it had sent a videotape to Washington that Israeli officials said
showed Egyptian security men helping Hamas militants smuggle arms across the
border to the Gaza Strip.

Livni also said last week that Egypt had done a terrible job of trying to
stop arms smuggling to Gaza via Egypt's Sinai peninsula, and said there
could be regional implications.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel of fabricating evidence to
implicate Egyptian security men in arms smuggling and said Livni had crossed
"red lines".

Egypt also accused Israel last week of encouraging pro-Israeli groups in the
United States to lobby members of the US Congress to the detriment of
Egyptian interests. Cairo said Israel was trying to distract attention from
Jewish settlement building.

Reuters contributed to this report