Muslim Brotherhood makes overture to Israel

Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt,
signed after the historic Camp David accords of 1978, is seen as vital to
stability in the Middle East and has ensured that there has been no Arab
invasion of the Jewish state for nearly 40 years.

The Brotherhood is formally linked to Hamas, the militant group which refuses
to recognise Israel’s right to exist, and although Mr Morsi’s letter is
careful to refer to the “Israeli people” rather than the country itself it
is clearly intended to reassure.

Mr Morsi has said he would not rescind Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel but
has balanced that stance with easing Egypt’s support for the Israeli
blockade of Gaza, which Hamas controls. He has also regularly met Hamas
leaders.

Currently, defence and security policy is still firmly in the hands of the
military rather than the presidency as part of Egypt’s muted democratic
transition. But the army and the Brotherhood appear to be working closely
together – an increase in fuel supplies to Gaza was announced first under
the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and then taken on by President Morsi.

Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, met Mr Morsi and the chairman of SCAF,
Field Marshal Hossein Tantawi, yesterday and said he thought the two men had
“a very good working relationship and are working together for the same
ends”.

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