Three Israeli Soldiers, Egyptian Policeman Killed in Border Incident
The Facts
In a disputed series of events, three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian policeman were killed on the border between the two countries on Saturday, with Egypt and the Israeli military giving conflicting accounts of what transpired.
Egypt initially said that the policeman crossed the border while in pursuit of drug smugglers along with other statements indicating that a shootout ensued leading to the four deaths.
The Spin
Narrative A
This attack is a serious indictment of Israel's security policies on the Egyptian border. Soldiers are expected to keep watch of a vast and empty desert in 12-hour shifts, making it easy for deadly mistakes like this to happen. Egypt is a strong Israeli ally and is working hard to assist Israel in determining what happened, and the onus is now on Israel to reform its border security.
Narrative B
This attack has humiliated Israel's security apparatus, as it lays bear the fact that the Israelis have neglected their ground forces in favor of intelligence and the air force. Though it's unclear what actually happened, it's clear that Israel is unprepared to deal with attacks on multiple fronts — especially as militant groups continue to work toward a unified front against Israel.
