Egypt practices invading Israel

Egyptian military forces on Sunday concluded maneuvers in the Sinai Peninsula that simulated an invasion of southern Israel.

Dubbed "Badr-2010," the exercise featured an armed crossing of the Suez Canal followed by a deep thrust into "enemy territory," reported the Middle East News Agency (MENA). The only "enemy" territory west of the Suez Canal is Israel.

Israel has repeated protested Egyptian military maneuvers in which the unidentified enemy is obviously Israel. Egypt and Israel signed a peace deal in 1979, and as a reward Egypt was granted ongoing US military aid and equipment that would make up the bulk of the arms used in any future attack on Israel.

The Egyptian exercise was almost ignored by the media, which instead focused on a Israeli defensive maneuvers in northern Israel that simulated a Hizballah missile attack on the Jewish state. Unlike the Egyptian exercise, the Israeli maneuver was held in response to very real threats of attack by Hizballah, and were purely defensive in nature.

Nor is Israel at peace with Hizballah or its Lebanese hosts. Egypt is at peace with Israel, but continues to treat it as an enemy nevertheless.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=21149


Israel simulates massive Arab missile attack

Israel's defense establishment on Sunday launched "Turning Point 4," a five-day nationwide drill simulating a massive Arab and Iranian missile assault against the Jewish state.

According to the parameters of the drill, Israel has been at war with Hizballah for about two weeks when Syria decides to back is terrorist allies by launching about 200 ballistic missiles, some of them carrying chemical warheads, at the Greater Tel Aviv area.

While much of the drill is being conducted by the army and the Home Front Command, air raid sirens will sound across Israel on Wednesday, and all citizens are being asked to participate by locating the nearest bomb shelter.

The drill will also include a scenario in which at least 200,000 residents of central Israel flee south into the Negev desert and need to be absorbed as refugees by the cities of Beersheva and Eilat.

Israeli officials stressed that while the focus of the drill is defensive, it does include rapid preparations for counter-strikes against those who would take part in the initial missile assault.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=79