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Title: Israeli Fears Over Regime Change In Egypt
Source:
SKY NEWS
URL Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo ... d=ARTICLE_15923251_Israelis_Fe
Published: Feb 4, 2011
Author: SKY NEWS
Post Date: 2011-02-04 19:03:46 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 2370
Comments: 2
Many Israelis have been gripped by TV footage of the unfolding democratic revolution in Cairo - they fear, quite simply, a change of regime in Egypt could endanger the Jewish state. But few will say so publicly. The last thing that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak needs is a ringing endorsement from "the Zionist entity" - on Cairo's streets, he is accused of being an American puppet in the service of Israel. But a poll this week by Yediot Aharonot, Israel's biggest selling daily, revealed that 65% of Israelis believed an end to Mr Mubarak's rule would be "negative". Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu weakly endorsed the Egyptian pro-democracy movement. It was important for him to stay close to his main ally, the US, which has repeatedly called for a swift transition. He told the Knesset, the Israeli legislature, that "an Egypt that adopts democratic reforms is a source of hope to the world and to us". But he poured cold water on expectations of any warming of the "cold peace" which has existed between Israel and Egypt since the Camp David peace treaty between the old enemies was signed in 1979. People should "be realistic and see the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be", he said. If Egypt is chaotic then it spills over into the rest of the region and that will be very negative. Danny Yatom, former head of Israeli spy agency Mossad. Danny Yatom, the former head of Israel's external spy agency Mossad, told Sky News that "developments in Egypt are not good for Israel". He said: "If Egypt is chaotic, then it spills over into the rest of the region and that will be very negative. "It could easily be that the next regime will not be as pro-peace as Mubarak has been. Looming in the background for Israeli leaders is the prospect that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood could emerge as a powerful force from the grass roots rebellion which has so far gripped Cairo and Egypt's second city, Alexandria. The Brotherhood was formed as an anti-colonial movement against British rule and is dedicated to bringing Sharia law to Egypt. Its leadership was jailed and the movement banned under Mr Mubarak. During the past week, its leaders have insisted that it would not try to force Sharia on Egyptians and would respect the peace treaty with Israel. Mubarak has maintained peace with Israel, despite popular opposition But the Brotherhood also maintains, as part of its founding principles, that Israel should not exist. "Even if the Brotherhood got 20 or 30% of a vote in an Egyptian election, this could give them the casting vote. That would be very dangerous for Israel," General Yatom said. Yaakov Amidror, a former head of the Israel Defence Force's Research and Assessment Division, insisted the Muslim Brotherhood's "great asset is patience". "It might not come to power straight away but it is the only movement with grass roots support and party structures throughout Egypt and one day it believes it will be dominant. "That could spell the end of peace for us". Since taking over from Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated for making peace with Israel, Mr Mubarak has maintained the 1979 pact despite popular opposition. He played a key role in mediating between the Jewish state and the rest of the Arab world, and the Palestinians in particular. He angered his own people by joining Israel in besieging the Gaza Strip after Hamas ousted the forces of Western-backed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. "It is difficult to estimate the security, economic and even emotional value of the peace treaty with Egypt," analyst Ofer Shelah wrote in Yediot Aharonot. "A return to a situation of confrontation, even cold and undeclared, would have great impact on our lives." Israel's greatest hope, for the time being, lies in Egypt's vice president Omar Suleiman. "He has been here to Israel many times and understand very clearly that peace with Israel is very much in the interests of the Egyptians," said Gen Yatom.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
Old words, newer, prouder meaning.
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