Israeli UN Envoy Danon: ‘Egypt’s Arming Should Concern Israel’

Photo Credit: Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles

Egyptian soldiers participate in field training at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt, Sept. 15, 2017.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, is raising serious concerns regarding Egypt’s military buildup. “They face no threats in the region, why do they need all these submarines and tanks?” he said in a Thursday interview with the religious radio station Kol Ba’Rama.

The ambassador’s father, Joseph Danon, was born in Egypt and made Aliyah in 1950.

“They invest hundreds of millions of dollars in modern military equipment every year,” Danon said in the interview, suggesting the massive investment in submarines and tanks raises questions, given that Egypt does not face significant threats from its neighbors.

Danon stressed that after the events of October 7, Israel must take the Egyptian military buildup more seriously. “We have learned the lesson,” he declared, “we must look at what is happening there and prepare for any scenario.”

He also questioned the US reasons for pouring this much heavy equipment into the Egyptian army, and asked, “Why do they need all this?”

Danny Danon with a friend, June 17, 2015. / Miriam Alster/FLASH90

The Egyptian Armed Forces’ inventory comprises equipment from various countries, including the United States, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the People’s Republic of China. This diverse mix of sources can sometimes lead to challenges in serviceability. Equipment from the Soviet Union is gradually being replaced with more modern US, French, and British alternatives, many of which are produced under license in Egypt, such as the M1A1 Abrams tank.

Egypt stands out as one of the few countries in the Middle East and the only Arab nation to possess a reconnaissance satellite. In 2007, it launched EgyptSat 1.

The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) oversees nine military factories that produce both civilian and military goods. Initially, the AOI was jointly owned by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, but in 1993, the latter two nations transferred their shares back to Egypt, valued at $1.8 billion. Today, AOI is fully owned by the Egyptian government and employs around 19,000 people, including 1,250 engineers. AOI fully owns ten factories and holds shares in two joint ventures, along with the Arab Institute for Advanced Technology.

LEVEL GAZA

Danon has supported aggressive actions against Gazan civilians and infrastructure. This included a proposal to “delete” one Gaza neighborhood for every rocket fired by Hamas.

In July 2014, he called for cutting all electricity and fuel to Gaza to pressure Hamas into seeking a ceasefire. After the abduction of an Israeli soldier on August 1, 2014, he stated that if the soldier was not returned in a few hours, Israel should begin leveling Gaza.

In November 2023, during the Israel war against Hamas, Danon suggested relocating Arabs from Gaza to countries willing to accept them. This proposal was praised by Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who endorsed it as a “humanitarian solution” for both Gaza residents and the region.