CAIRO: Two Israelis and one Ukranian were indicted on Monday by Egypt's public prosecutor on charges of smuggling weapons into the country from Israel, Egypt's al-Youm al-Saba'a reported. The report said that the three were charged with “smuggling weapons, bullets and artillery.” The weapons were allegedly Israeli-made, but also include others reportedly used by Egyptian security forces in the country. Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper reported that one of the suspects is an Israeli Arab from Kfar Kara, who was allegedly arrested after being discovered inside a wooden crate attempting to smuggle the weapons through the Taba Crossing, in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. He is currently being held alongside a Ukrainian citizen in Egypt. The other indicted Israeli is currently outside of Egypt. The indictment comes just months after Ilan Grapel, an American-Israeli citizen jailed in Cairo on suspicion of espionage, but who was released in a Israeli-Egyptian prisoner exchange. Egypt arrested Grapel, 27, in June, setting off new concerns that Egypt-Israel relations would sour after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Grapel was volunteering at a legal aid group in Cairo when he was arrested and accused of spying for Israel during the uprising that overthrew Mubarak in February. Israel denied the espionage allegations, as did Grapel's family and friends. Egypt and Israel relations have been ice cold since the ousting of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, and are even colder since the first two rounds of parliamentary elections have concluded in Egypt. The Islamist parties, Freedom and Justice Party and al-Nour Party, have won the lion's share of votes, despite low turnout, and have pledged to re-evaluate the 1979 Camp David Peace Treaty with Israel, however, they have said there is no intention of revoking the deal that brought peace between the bordering countries. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/y50Vz Tags: Arrested, featured, Israel, Smuggling, Weapons Section: Egypt, Latest News, Palestine
