Israeli minister threatens Egypt over possible attack, calls for annexing Lebanese territory

 Extremist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he does not trust Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s assurances that Cairo has no intention of attacking Israel, warning that Egypt could lose the Sinai Peninsula if it launches an attack.

Speaking to Israeli platform Ali Express on Monday, Smotrich questioned how Israel could guarantee that Egypt would not attack.

“If they understand that the next time they attack, there will be no Sinai, that is the guarantee,” he said.

Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism Party, referred to Sisi’s recent remarks that Egypt has no territorial ambitions or intention of waging war against Israel.

“I do not trust these statements,” he said, arguing that Israel should assess its neighbors’ military capabilities rather than their declared intentions.

“One of the lessons of Oct. 7 is that we must be prepared not for our enemies’ intentions but for their capabilities, and Egypt has capabilities,” he added.

On Oct. 5, Smotrich similarly claimed that Egypt’s fear of losing Sinai was preventing it from attacking Israel.