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IDF Military Intelligence Views Iran, the Palestinians, and Egypt

(Israel Hayom) Yoav Limor - IDF Brig.-Gen. Amir Sa'ar, head of the Military Intelligence Research Division, says, "Iran is weeks away from accumulating a sufficient quantity of uranium for a nuclear bomb....It's the most advanced position they've reached in terms of accumulating materials....They've achieved complete control of advanced centrifugal technology." However, Sa'ar says, the Iranians need another two years before they will be able to produce a bomb, since they still haven't mastered metallurgy or the production of the explosive device. "Three things have always worked with the Iranians: military pressure, internal distress and political pressure. When these were used, they prompted the Iranians to make their biggest decisions. Iran can be deterred, and we have to have the capability to operate against them." "I doubt [the recent spate of Palestinian terror attacks] can be defined as a 'wave,' like in the past....The Palestinian public weren't part of this for a moment. There is weariness among them, as well as a lack of understanding of what, exactly, the issue is. The cry 'Al-Aqsa is in danger' doesn't resonate with the [Palestinian] population in Judea and Samaria. It's an eastern Jerusalem event, a bit Arab Israeli, but has nothing to do with Judea and Samaria." Israel, he says, has an interest in day-to-day life in Judea and Samaria going on as usual, with people working and making a living. "The more you can separate the innocent population, who really want to work and to live, from terrorism, and to make sure there's a cost for it [the terror], the better." Egypt has recently brought its relations with Israel more into the open. "The Egyptians saw the Gulf states sailing comfortably into the world openly with us, and not paying a price. They didn't want to be bypassed, and they understand the benefits of these relations. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi...understands he won't benefit if he keeps relations with us on the level of security, and concealed....Egypt today sees Israel as a positive element in the region. I don't think the current Egyptian leadership sees Israel as an enemy."
2022-05-23 00:00:00
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