investigations

Eli Dekel: Shaping the Israeli Narrative Regarding Egypt’s Violations of Peace Treaty and Its Readiness for War Against Israel

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Over the past period, ‘Taqasee’ has focused on analyzing the work of Eliyahu Dekel (nicknamed Eli Dekel), a retired Israeli officer specializing in geographic intelligence, who spent 20 years in the intelligence branch of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). His previous tasks revolved around studying the military and civilian infrastructure of the region’s countries and linking their developments to the military capabilities and strategic intentions of those countries, which earned him insights into regional security analyses and strategic dynamics.

In his current work, Dekel relies on his past experience to monitor military developments in the region, with a particular focus on Egyptian military activity. Through this monitoring, he observes the implications of Egypt’s military buildup on the regional strategic balance and the ongoing logistical infrastructure in Egypt (such as the expansion of military airports and the increase in fuel reserves), which he considers an indicator of enhanced military capabilities.

He has also monitored Egyptian military developments in Sinai and the Suez Canal area, including the construction of bridges and tunnels and the modernization of air bases, especially since Sisi came to power in 2013.

Dekel concludes that these Egyptian preparations are nothing but preparations for potential scenarios of confrontation with Israel, downplaying the possibility that these measures are a response to threats from neighboring countries such as Libya or Ethiopia. He believes that his analysis of this infrastructure reveals Egypt’s strategic priorities, which – from his perspective – focus on strengthening deterrence against Israel.

The Media and Political Influence on the Israeli Narrative to Promote an Account of Egypt’s Hostility Towards Israel

Dekel’s analyses have recently garnered widespread attention in the Israeli media, focusing on what he described as the “Egyptian military and logistical expansion in Sinai,” claiming that the military arsenals, the number of airports, and the border infrastructure exceed what was agreed upon in the peace treaty. These allegations relied on satellite images presented as evidence of “significant discrepancies” from the agreed-upon situation.

Dekel’s analyses have topped the headlines of prominent Israeli newspapers such as “Israel Hayom” and “Jerusalem Post,” as well as news platforms like “JewishPress” and “TFI Global News,” indicating the extent of the influence exerted by this narrative within Israeli media circles and the degree of its integration into the public discourse on Egyptian-Israeli relations.

By tracking Dekel’s work, it became clear that this is not the first time he has presented this analysis. He gave a lecture in September 2021 addressing the same topic, then reinforcing the same claims about “Egyptian military growth.” Upon further research, ‘Taqasee’ found a blog, which our verification showed was created by Dekel, publishing his analyses and television interviews, which focus remarkably on the Egyptian army and support his narrative about Sinai with multiple pieces of evidence, illustrating his systematic efforts to promote this narrative.

In a further attempt to understand the extent of Dekel’s influence on decision-makers in Israel, a document dating back to 1985 revealed his role as a former diplomat at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), where he participated in assessing the conditions of the Jewish community in the United States and prepared research on religious and ethnic diversity there for Israeli entities. The document also described him as a former IOF officer and management consultant, noting his Indian origins.

Dekel’s connection with Israeli politicians does not seem to be severed. During the current war on Gaza, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yaakov Leter, cited Dekel’s analyses on Sinai, indicating the continued resonance of his views within the corridors of power. Additionally, some Israeli reports linked his current analyses to his previous involvement in security files, giving them political and media momentum.

These details show an integration between Dekel’s media efforts and his political connections, making him an influential player in shaping the Israeli narrative towards security files, especially those related to Egypt, in a context that intersects with current regional developments.

Despite Israel’s Occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor, How Dekel’s Publications Depict Egypt as Violating the Peace Treaty

Within the framework of an analysis of the latest 50 publications on Dekel’s blog, which included television interviews, articles, analyses, and debates, the results revealed that more than 75% of the content focuses directly on Egypt, with a remarkable emphasis on the issue of Sinai and the military presence there, alongside promoting claims that Egypt has explicitly violated the terms of the peace treaty with Israel.

The publications also included other topics related to the Egyptian role in the events of October 7th and issues related to the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, in addition to reports highlighting Sisi’s strategies in dealing with the Israeli issue. Through this analysis, it became clear that Dekel is promoting a narrative that suggests Egypt’s cooperation with Hamas and its readiness for a military confrontation with Israel, by evoking the historical context of bilateral relations and linking it to the Al-Aqsa Flood events.

It can be concluded that the current media and political campaign led by Dekel is trying to reinforce a narrative that aims to portray Egypt as a party hostile to Israeli security, while highlighting analyses that often lack objective context and the evidence to support what is being said.