Israel Matzav

Obama rewards Muslim refusal to talk with Israel

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has announced that it will not talk to Israel - a country with which it has a peace treaty. And US President Barack Hussein Obama has announced that he will reward the Brotherhood by speeding up assistance to it. This is from the first link (Hat Tip: Dan F).

Mahmoud Ghazlan told London’s Asharq Alawsat daily that the Islamist group’s position is “clear and not up for discussion.” Ghazlan denied his organization had been contacted by Israel’s embassy in Cairo, and said it would “reject any request from the Israeli embassy to meet with leaders of the Brotherhood.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Army Radio on Tuesday that Israel “has not closed the door” to the new government in Cairo and “would be happy to conduct dialogue with anyone prepared to talk with us.” Palmor said he believes Egypt would continue to honor the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which he said serves the interests of both countries.

Ghazlan flatly rejected the prospect of talks with the Jewish state.

“Our group is not prepared to conduct dialogue with Israel – that is our decision.

Our position is consistent and clear, and is not up for discussion,” he said.

“It is illogical to open dialogue, any dialogue, given the current Israeli policies against the Arab peoples,” he said. “We will reject any request from the Israeli embassy to meet with leaders of the group.”

Earlier this month the deputy leader of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said it would not recognize Israel “under any circumstances.”

And the Obama administration's response?

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to accelerate the pace of American aid to Egypt, a top State Department official said on Wednesday, as the most populous Arab nation reaches a critical stage in its uncertain transition away from autocratic rule.

Undersecretary of State Robert Hormats, part of a U.S. delegation that held unprecedented talks last week with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, said Washington wanted to provide "more immediate benefits" to Egyptians, who earlier this month conducted their first democratic elections in decades.

"During this period, we want to be as supportive as we can. This is an historic moment. Egypt's a country of enormous importance," Hormats said.

Under the plan, some non-urgent U.S. aid slated for other countries - he did not name them - would be redirected to Egypt. And funding in the pipeline for long-term programs in Egypt would be shifted to quick-impact projects, he said.

Hormats, speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum, emphasized that the White House had not made any final decisions, and that he was providing Washington's "broad thinking" on the subject.

It was unclear whether the total amount of U.S. aid to Egypt would be increased. "Whether it's an increase or whether it's reprioritizing existing assistance, we're still working this out," Hormats said.

How much do you want to bet that one of those countries whose aid is 'redirected' is Israel? What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Muslim Brotherhood

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:59 AM