Sisi Says Egypt Will Never Threaten Israel as Netanyahu Questions Arms Buildup

The 1979 peace treaty between the two countries limits military activity there, and Israeli officials have questioned both Egyptian troop deployments and new infrastructure.

By Shula Rosen

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sought to dismiss Israeli concerns about Cairo’s growing arsenal, saying Egypt poses no threat to Israel despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioning why the country continues to acquire weapons.

Sisi disclosed the exchange during an October 15 Police Academy graduation ceremony in New Cairo, where he described Egypt’s military capabilities as necessary for protecting the country and maintaining regional stability.

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

The Egyptian leader said Netanyahu had confronted him directly over Cairo’s arms purchases. “On one occasion, he asked me, ‘Why are you arming yourself?’ He asked me that question. He said, ‘Why are you buying weapons?’”

According to Sisi, he told Netanyahu that military strength alone should not be interpreted as hostile intent. Egypt does not regard Israel’s military capabilities as a danger, he said, and Israel should take the same view of Egypt.

Concerns in Israel have focused particularly on Egyptian activity in the Sinai Peninsula.

The 1979 peace treaty between the two countries limits military activity there, and Israeli officials have questioned both Egyptian troop deployments and new infrastructure.

Netanyahu raised those concerns with the Trump administration in September 2025, Axios reported, asking Washington to pressure Cairo over possible treaty violations.

Israeli officials cited longer runways at Egyptian military airbases that could serve fighter jets, along with underground facilities that could potentially hold missiles.

However, Israeli intelligence had found no evidence that missiles were actually stored at those sites.

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

Cairo has maintained that its military presence is defensive and needed to protect Egypt’s borders.

Egyptian officials have also said deployments in Sinai are connected to concerns over Palestinians potentially being displaced from Gaza into Egyptian territory.

A source quoted by Haaretz in September 2025 rejected claims that Egypt had offensive intentions and called the peace treaty a strategic asset.

The source identified preventing the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza as Egypt’s main concern.