24.08.2011                      24.Aw-Elul, 5771

Feature:

Egypt careful not to blame Sinai Bedouin for Israel terror attacks

Bedouin in the peninsula, long regarded suspiciously by Cairo, may finally be getting respect and rights from the country's new military junta, who see them as strategic asset.

The statement released by the Egyptian government early Saturday morning announcing the decision to recall Egypt's ambassador to Israel, which was later revoked, also included a paragraph about the Bedouin in Sinai.
According to the statement, "A special government committee will be established, in which all the government ministries will participate, in order to establish a body for the comprehensive development of Sinai. This body will supervise all the areas of development and prosperity at the political, social and economic level and will act toward solving the problems of the Bedouin. … This, out of a recognition that the development system in Sinai is the first line of defense against regional plots, with which Egypt is dealing with full determination."…