Sisi insists Egypt wants peace, while Netanyahu fears military buildup means war

Sisi insists Egypt will never threaten Israel, but Netanyahu is increasingly concerned about Cairo’s growing military power and its buildup in Sinai, raising questions about the future of the countries’ decades-old peace.

By World Israel News Staff

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had personally questioned why Egypt continued purchasing weapons despite the countries’ longstanding peace treaty, as Israeli concerns grow over Cairo’s expanding military capabilities and its strengthening ties with Turkey.

Speaking at a Police Academy graduation ceremony in New Cairo on October 15, Sisi insisted that Egypt’s military expansion was intended to protect national security and regional stability, not threaten Israel.

“Netanyahu is responsible for his country, and he knows very well that Egypt will never pose a threat,” Sisi said.

The Egyptian president recalled Netanyahu directly questioning Egypt’s weapons purchases during a previous conversation.

“On one occasion, he asked me, ‘Why are you arming yourself?’ He asked me that question. He said, ‘Why are you buying weapons?'”

Sisi said he responded that Israel should not regard Egypt’s military capabilities as threatening, just as Cairo does not consider Israel’s military strength a danger.

But Israeli officials have expressed serious concerns about Egypt’s military expansion, particularly the deployment of forces and construction of military infrastructure in the Sinai Peninsula, where the 1979 peace treaty places restrictions on military activity.

Netanyahu raises alarm over Egypt’s military buildup

In September 2025, Axios reported that Netanyahu had asked the Trump administration to pressure Egypt over its military buildup in Sinai, citing possible violations of the peace agreement.

According to Israeli officials, Egypt had extended runways at military airbases that could accommodate fighter jets and constructed underground facilities potentially suitable for storing missiles.

Although Israeli intelligence had no evidence that missiles were actually being stored in those facilities, officials warned that the infrastructure could eventually support offensive military operations.

“What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned,” an Israeli official told Axios.

The official also expressed concern that reduced surveillance flights by the multinational force responsible for monitoring the peace agreement had made it more difficult to verify Egyptian military activities.

Egypt denied the Israeli allegations, maintaining that its deployments were defensive and necessary to safeguard its borders.

Nevertheless, Israel’s concerns extend beyond the immediate situation in Sinai.

Even if Egypt’s current leadership has no intention of attacking Israel, the military capabilities Cairo is developing could pose a serious threat if relations deteriorate or a future Egyptian government adopts a more hostile position.

Pollard warns of war with Egypt and Turkey

Former Israeli intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard has issued an even more alarming warning, arguing that Israel must prepare for the possibility of a future war involving both Egypt and Turkey.

“We have to be prepared for the next war, which will probably be against Türkiye and Egypt,” Pollard said during a May interview with Arutz Sheva.

“The storm is coming,” he warned.

Pollard suggested that a confrontation with Turkey could prove more difficult than Israel’s conflict with Iran, given Ankara’s substantial conventional military capabilities.

In an August article titled “The war we cannot afford to lose,” Pollard expanded on his concerns, warning that a new regional military alignment could eventually present Israel with a formidable coalition of powerful states.

He pointed to growing defense cooperation among Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, raising concerns about the possibility of Egypt becoming part of a broader regional military bloc.

Such a development, he argued, could fundamentally alter the strategic balance facing Israel.

Unlike Hamas or Hezbollah, Egypt and Turkey possess large conventional armies, advanced aircraft, armored formations and extensive military infrastructure.

A confrontation involving both countries would therefore present Israel with a substantially different challenge from fighting terrorist organizations or Iranian-backed militias.

Pollard’s warning is a prediction rather than evidence that Egypt and Turkey have decided to attack Israel. Nevertheless, the strengthening military relationship between Cairo and Ankara has given the issue greater significance.

Egypt and Turkey strengthen military cooperation

Egypt and Turkey have moved to restore their relationship after years of diplomatic tensions, expanding political contacts and renewing military cooperation.

The rapprochement comes as Turkey seeks to strengthen its regional influence, particularly in Syria, where its growing military presence has also raised concerns in Israel.

Israeli officials fear that Turkish military installations in Syria could restrict the Israeli Air Force’s freedom to operate against security threats and increase the risk of a direct confrontation between Israeli and Turkish forces.

The two countries have sharply conflicting interests in Syria, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israeli military operations and maintained close political ties with Hamas.

For Israel, the concern is not simply the possibility of fighting Turkey or Egypt individually, but the strategic consequences of closer cooperation among powerful regional militaries whose interests may increasingly conflict with Jerusalem’s.

Recent developments have underscored that cooperation.

On October 12, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement condemning Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s international airport, demonstrating their growing diplomatic coordination on regional security.

The statement was directed against the Iran-backed Houthis, not Israel, and does not establish that the four countries are forming an anti-Israel military alliance.

Nevertheless, it illustrates the expanding relationships among states whose combined military capabilities could significantly affect the regional balance of power.

Egypt insists its intentions are peaceful

Despite the warnings, Egypt has consistently rejected suggestions that its military expansion is directed against Israel.

Cairo maintains that its armed forces are necessary to protect national sovereignty, secure its borders and respond to regional threats.

Egyptian officials have also linked increased military deployments in Sinai to concerns that Palestinians could be displaced from Gaza into Egyptian territory.

An Egyptian source quoted by Haaretz in September 2025 described the peace treaty with Israel as a strategic asset and denied that Cairo had offensive intentions.

The source said Egypt’s principal concern was preventing the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

The two countries have maintained formal peace since 1979, and their security establishments have cooperated against terrorist threats in Sinai.

Sisi also addressed his disagreements with Netanyahu over the establishment of a Palestinian state during his October 15 remarks, indicating that significant political differences remain despite the peace agreement.

For Israel, the concern extends beyond Egypt’s current intentions. Military capabilities developed under a friendly government could become a serious threat if relations deteriorate or a future Egyptian leadership abandons the peace treaty.

That uncertainty, compounded by Egypt’s growing military cooperation with Turkey, is fueling warnings that Israel must prepare for threats that could emerge even from countries with which it is currently at peace.