Lord Cromer, Britain's
agent in Egypt, wanted
to change the border between the Ottoman
Empire, which was under strong German influence, and Egypt,
in order to push the Ottomans further away from the Suez Canal.
In 1892, the Turks agreed to allow Egyptian guard stations near
the Gulf of Eilat; in 1905, Lord Cromer tried to move the border.
In April 1906, the Turks were given an ultimatum - to set the
border between Aqaba and Rafah. They proposed a compromise (El
Arish - Ras Muhamed) but finally gave in to British pressure.
The firm stand of the commander of the Turkish police station
at Um Rashrash (today, Eilat) changed the starting point of the
border from Aqaba to Taba, which became the international border
between Israel and Egypt. |
