Egypt's Morsi to rethink Israel peace pact, build Iran ties
Egypt's Islamist president-elect, Mohamed Morsi, wants to "reconsider" the peace deal with Israel and build ties with Iran to "create a strategic balance" in the Middle East, according to an interview published by Iran's Fars news agency today.
The stated goals are certain to alarm Israel and its ally the United States as they adapt to the new direction Egypt will chart with Morsi at the helm.
They could also boost Iran's influence in the Middle East at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and the West.
"We will reconsider the Camp David Accord" that, in 1979, forged a peace between Egypt and Israel that has held for more than three decades, Morsi was quoted as telling a Fars reporter in Cairo on Sunday, just before his election triumph was announced.
He said the issue of Palestinian refugees returning to homes their families abandoned in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the 1967 Six-Day War "is very important".
Morsi added though that "all these issues will be carried out through cabinet and governmental bodies because I will not take any decision on my own."
Morsi also said he was ready to improve ties with Iran. The Islamic republic broke off diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1980, a year after Cairo signed the peace deal with the Jewish state.
"Part of my agenda is the development of ties between Iran and Egypt that will create a strategic balance in the region," Morsi was quoted as saying.
Although Morsi resigned from Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to take the top job, Israel is wary of his election, fearing his Islamist record could jeopardise the chilly peace it has long enjoyed with its huge neighbour.
Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday welcomed Morsi's triumph. Its message made no mention, however, of Iran and Egypt resuming diplomatic ties.
Iran's clerical leadership contends that the Arab Spring that toppled veteran Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak and other longtime US allies in the Arab world last year was inspired by its own 1979 Islamic revolution.
Although Iran's predominant faith is Shiite Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood adheres to the Sunni branch of Islam, Tehran has been reaching out to the organisation in Egypt in recent months.
Iran's armed forces chief of staff, General Hassan Firouzabadi was quoted by IRNA as echoing the Muslim Brotherhood's rejection of moves by Egypt's military to dissolve the Islamist-led parliament and to give itself a greater say over government policy and the constitution.
"The actions of the military council in Egypt, which considers itself to be selected by Mubarak, lack legal validity and political legitimacy," Firouzabadi said.
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Wenzu Vella
Jun 26th 2012, 09:51
Why is it that if a country votes in a non complying Christian backed government and is not sub servant to Washington is always seen as a big problem to world peace? Mubarak was a despot supported and made by American money to keep his people down and totally ignore the plight of his cousins the Palestinian people across the border so Israel can have a free hand to grab and pillage the Palestinian territory which has been their home for thousands of years for the benefit of a few white Northern
Europeans that calls themselves Jews.
Israel should not be invaded or threatened by their neighbours but by a UN resolution supported not vetoed by the US to adhere to the 1948 UN mandate. Israel can never have enough territory to accommodate all those who claim to be Jewish to be able to live in the State of Israel.
An other bigger problem in the Middle East is that the so called international community has turned a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear arsenal and yet they are all demanding that Iran should be nuclear free. How can this be justified? For what purpose Israel needs to have a huge nuclear arsenal? Is it perhaps to kill tens of millions of people in neighbouring countries? If so who is going to control the nuclear fallout from reaching the rest of Europe. For a start the whole of the Middle East should be made nuclear free followed by the rest whole world.
Emma Xerri
Jun 28th 2012, 14:34
Wenzu, the 'Palestinians" are not cousins, they are Egyptians, Jordanians, Lebanese and Syrians. Arafat himself was Egyptian. Many 'Palestinians' passports clearly state this under "place of birth'. Jews are not Northern Europeans, although like the Semitic Maltese they have some European blood - genetic testing proved this. To deny that Israel was a Jewish land from antiquity is to deny the Bible, the Gospels and even Jesus Christ himself.
John Spiteri Jones
Jun 25th 2012, 19:07
Here we go again muslem brotherhood in egypt then libya and tunisa, and a close partnership with iran! all we need then is turkey in the EU.
henry caruana
Jun 25th 2012, 22:12
The PEACEFUL WORLD was awaiting this kind of persons with brains.
Hope LIBYA / TUNISIA / SYRIA ASSAD / (TURKEY ?) join the EGYPTIAN
President and block izrael from four quarters, stopping izraelusa / UK middle east
domination mentality
Charles Grixti
Jun 28th 2012, 14:46
@Henry Caruana
The world that is the Islamic world has awaited this moment, to usher in the PEACE that can only reign under the Caliphate, when the whole world is subdued under the rule of Allah.
And have you not noticed that the US has given its full support to the "Arab Spring"? So you think that the US is supporting this to go against its own interests (OIL) in this area?
P Sciberras
Jun 25th 2012, 16:46
As alwas we already have intelligent writers who are already forcasting the future situation in Egypt. I do not recall these writers warning what was to happen in Iraq when Saddam was rid off for not having any( WMD) Weapons Of Mass Distruction.I do not recall these writers writing about the poverty in Egypt when Millions of dollars were given to Egypt but finishing up in the Mubarak family pockets and the generals to invest. I do not recall these writers why the West wants the Islamist to dominate the world by Backing the muslim rebels in Syria. So in Malta we have people who already knows that Morsi has already a not so secret agenda to rage a war against Nuclear armed Israel.For god sake,the people of Egypt have spoken,Just give them a chance to see what the situation will be be instead.
stephen koludrovic
Jun 25th 2012, 15:02
It would be better for Mr Morsi to instead start thinking of how to get his country out of the poverty that they are in.
Emma Xerri
Jun 25th 2012, 14:42
It boogles the mind, but it is evident that the West wants to have Islamists governing the whole of the Middle East. Why?
Ivan Scicluna
Jun 26th 2012, 03:28
Personally I think the West thought that the North Africans really wanted democracy, but the fact is these people will never learn.
Mr Terry Gosden
Jun 25th 2012, 14:10
Sadly the Zionist rulers of Israel are happy to bully or bluff neighbours, or subject Palestinians to their terror tactics, but a healthy Muslim state. Good grief the very thought of it, seems to upset them. The next phase will be for Israel to project, that this elected leader is somehow a terrorist, bent on World domination, and the west/America must either remove him at all cost, or face the consequences.
Prob Stating the very existence of Israel is under threat yet again. Gerald Kaufman British MP and Zionist got it right after the operation cast lead. Look it up on youtube.
Martin Cassar
Jun 25th 2012, 14:09
This is the fruit of democracy. In the Western-Backed dictatorship era The Egyptians were never consulted over this peace treaty in question. What's wrong with that? No single Western democracy sign a treaty without consulting the people. My ears fallen hearing the Zionists spare no occasion to claim they are the only democracy The victims of Hitler's Holocaust should encourage democracy in the region...shouldn't they?
Jay Oatmon
Jun 25th 2012, 14:00
This is a dangerous situation Iran behaves irrationally and likes to stir up trouble and Iran supports many terrorist groups. Everytime there is a religious zealot in charge many innocent people suffer.
Eve Axiaq
Jun 25th 2012, 12:35
This could be serious. Islamic rule is on the rise in the Middle East and Israel will be under threat. And then if United States intervene God knows what happens next. The few millions of Christians in Egypt have a good reason to worry about.
Simon Ciantar
Jun 25th 2012, 11:55
From information i have , Morsi has a not so secret agenda to wage war on Israel , help palestianians in Israel and declare Sharia law in Eqypt. I feel sorry for the 15% of Christians in Egypt and for all the youth who are seeing their uprising one year age hijacked by fanatics ...
Please choose the reason of your report below: