Egypt warns Israel of diplomatic reprisals

 

Egypt's foreign minister warned Zionist regime that Cairo could use its diplomatic influence against Zionist regime which he said was trying to undermine Cairo's ties to Washington, MENA news agency said.

 

"If they continue to push and try to affect Egypt's relationship with the US and harm Egyptian interests, Egypt will certainly respond and will try to damage their interests," MENA quoted Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Monday as saying in a television interview aired a day earlier.

 

"We have capabilities in every direction - all in diplomatic areas but not extending beyond that - which may inflict profound damage," he added.

 

"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," said a senior official.

 

The official estimated that unless the current level of tension abates, 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 official.

 

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 Palestinian movements transfer arms into the Gaza Strip.