Netanyahu says cabinet to decide on Sinai deployment

Israel should not rush to amend the peace treaty with Egypt Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said. The Israeli prime minister was referring to Egypt's request to increase its military presence in the Sinai Peninsula due to the worsening security situation there. "If we are going to alter the peace treaty with Egypt ... and I don't think it is something we need to rush into ... it must be approved by the cabinet," Netanyahu said Sunday. Israel must take care of security, terror problems in particular, and invest more resources in tackling obstacles, Netanyahu said. He added that Jerusalem is in contact with the Egyptian government concerning the situation. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was not planning to approve Egypt's request to deploy additional troops in Sinai despite media reports claiming otherwise. In recent days Egyptian officials have demanded to boost their presence in the Sinai in an effort to improve security and prevent further infiltrations into Israel. Egypt and Israel signed the peace treaty in Washington in March 1979. The peace treaty limits the number of Egyptian military forces permitted into the Sinai Peninsula, and requires approval from Israel concerning changes.