U.S.: Muslim Brotherhood gave assurances on Egypt-Israel peace treaty
State Department comment comes amid remarks by leaders of Egyptian Islamist party, according to which the 1979 treaty does not bind Egypt's new regime.
By Natasha Mozgovaya Tags: Arab Spring EgyptThe Muslim Brotherhood gave the United States assurances regarding the maintaining of Egypt's peace deal with Israel, a top U.S. official said on Thursday, despite recent comments by party leaders claiming that the 1979 treaty did not bind Cairo's new regime.
Earlier this week, the Muslim Brotherhood, the overwhelming victor in the first round of elections for the Egyptian Parliament, announced that would not recognize Israel and intends to bring the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty to a referendum.
 |
Supporters of The Freedom and Justice Party of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood participating in a march in support of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's visit, Cairo December 26, 2011. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
"We will not recognize Israel under any circumstances; we are talking about an occupation entity and a criminal enemy," said Dr. Rashad Bayoumi, the deputy head of the Brotherhood.
However, speaking to the press on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland indicated that the Egyptian Islamist party provided assurances regarding the country's peace treaty with Israel.
Referring to a recent on the Muslim Brotherhood member interview with Al Hayat, where he said that the treaty with Israel is not binding, Nuland said: "We’ve seen this press report. I would say that it is one member of the Muslim Brotherhood. We have had other assurances from the party with regard to their commitment not only to universal human rights, but to the international obligations that the Government of Egypt has undertaken."
The U.S. official added by saying that, "as we’ve said again and again, not only with regard to Egypt but with regard to other states in that region in transition, we expect that legitimate parties will not only support universal human rights, but will also continue to support international obligations made by their governments they have made commitments to us along those regards, and as I said, we will judge these parties by what they do."
Nuland's comments came after last month top Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei told Iran's Fars news agency that the United States is engaged in secret talks with Egypt's ruling military council geared at ensuring that the country's democratically elected regime will maintain its peace treaty with Israel.
"The negotiations were completely secret and confidential," ElBaradei told Fars, adding that what the ruling military indicated "said was that the talks were about bilateral and mutual relations, but I believe that Americans wanted to ensure that the deals signed between Egypt and Israel will remain intact if Islamists ascend to power."
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
I am all for this arrangement.
Zionist control of US Middle East poilicy is rapidly making the US an irrelevance in the region.
The Middle East is a cursed piece of land where chaos is the norm .No democratic nation including Israel will ever beable to make peace with Islamic tribal leaders . Until Islamic leaders stop interfering in the running of their country and preaching hatred causing Intense animosity and hostility towards other religions and nations there will be no peace .
The USA is back on track, replacing existing regimes with Islamic ones. This will ensure these regimes are undemocratic, and kept under control. It will also inhibit or limit future European or Chinese cooperation and influence on these nations, and will countervail other Islamic nations (such as Iran). And of course, this will justify US presence in the region. This is very similar to the strategy adopted by the crusaders, hundreds of years ago. We should be aware of the rising US-backed Islamism. Who wants another US-backed Ottoman empire?
The Muslim Brotherhood giving the U.S. assurances? Really? Well, I guess they have to kneel down to the U.S., after all without the U.S. they would have never been able to take over Egypt, nor would they be so successful in Libya. A gift with strings attached... gotta love it, the Muslim Brotherhood owned and operated by NATO.
The MB can never be trusted, all they want is to get the $2BILLION p.a from USA coffers, after USA goes broke, they will join fellow hamasists in their endeavour to destroy the only Jewish homeland on earth= Israel
Had the Pithat Rafiach and Yamit been replaced for a Negev equivalent territory , a lot of threats and hostile acts could have been saved for us.
Livni
They are going to maintain a peace treaty with an "occupation entity" and "criminal enemy"? Somehow I do not feel comforted by these Islamist assurances. The Brotherhood are merely waiting to consolidate power before throwing off their sheep's clothing to reveal the wolf. In the meantime abundant US aid is necessary to tide them through the current economical rough patch, and they'll say what their audience in the West wishes to hear, in order to not jeopardize that aid...
In other news, the brother in law of a person who used to work for someone who had a friend affiliated with the Republican Party has promised that Israel will get a $10 billion lump sum from the next administration. Don't spend it all at once.