Relations between Israel and South Sudan do not threaten Egypt's national security, said Mo'ayed al-Dele'ei, the Egyptian consul in Juba. Egyptian Parliament members this week warned that South Sudan's inclination toward establishing strong ties with Israel will represent a blow to Egyptian national security after the south's secession. The nascent state's strengthening ties with countries such as Ethiopia threaten the security of the entire Arab world--especially as Ethiopia is known as an ally of Israel, said Sadiq al-Mahdi, a member of Sudan's opposition. The Egyptian consul denied Israeli presence in South Sudan. "Since my arrival in February 2010, I never witnessed a Zionist presence in the South, despite the circulation of some rumors about a secret Israeli consulate in Juba. We cannot prevent the new government from establishing relations with Israel. We are here to protect Egyptian interests, and South Sudan decision to establish relations with Israel does not by any means contradict Egypt's interests," said al-Dele'ei. He refuted accusations that Egypt's Foreign Ministry was late to recognize the danger of southern secession, saying that Egypt recognized the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and South, and was the first country to establish a consulate in South Sudan.
