Egypt: Islamist Party Open to Israel Talks

Arutz Sheva ^ | 20/12/11 | Gavriel Queenann

[Eleutheria5]

Amid the Islamic tsunami sweeping Egypt's parliamentary elections the ultra-conservative Salafist Nour party says it is willing to hold talks with Israel.

Salafi al-Nour Party spokesman Yousri Hammad told Egypt's daily al-Arabia that reports party chairman Emad Abdul Ghafour was willing to maintain contacts with Israel were true - and added doing so did not violate Islamic principles.

“We have not received an official request from Israel yet, but if we sit with Israel, it has to be through the Egyptian Foreign Ministry,” he said.

The Salafi al-Nour Party garnered about 25 percent of the votes in the first and second round of Egypt’s parliamentary elections.

“Egypt is signatory to international treaties and these have to be respected,” added Hammad, who stressed several never activated clauses in the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty needed to be implemented. “This is not my personal opinion or that of the party chairman. It is part of the party’s policies.”

The party’s chairman, Emad Abdul Ghafour, stirred the kettle of controversy in Cairo last week when he focused on the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

In doing so Ghafour staked out a distinct position from the Muslim Brotherhood, which has tapped into popular anti-Israel sentiment on the banks of the Nile by suggesting the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty could be cancelled.

Abdul Ghafour stressed that diplomatic relations with Israel would continue as long as they serve the interests of Egypt and the Arab world.

“If we become once more the powerful country we had been before, Israel will have greater respect for us and we will be able to revise the terms of the treaty.”

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[Eleutheria5]

"Ahaaa!"

--Jackie Gleason as Ralph Cramden

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Eleutheria5, additional:

• Egyptian Islamists: We'll negotiate with Israel [ "under certain conditions" ]
• Egypt: Islamist Party Open to Israel Talks
• Egyptian election sends shiver through Israel
• 'Israel biggest loser from Muslim Brotherhood win in Egypt'
• Israel on the Islamist Surge in Egypt: Told You So
• New Israel Ambassador to Egypt Returns to Cairo

[Eleutheria5]

“A wise guy, huh?”

[ckilmer]

“If we become once more the powerful country we had been before, Israel will have greater respect for us and we will be able to revise the terms of the treaty.”

............

Egypt is even more of a financial basket case than Greece. Egypt is going to run out of money to pay for imported food within the year.

People will not starve. Rather Egypt will become a world class beggar.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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Seems to me that whether or not Egypt adheres to it's treaty obligations to Israel and the US (yes, we were at party for reasons unclear to me but I'm not Jimmy Carter) would be at most an internal Egyptian matter.