Representative Says Muslim Brotherhood Plans to Put Israel/Egypt Peace Pact to Referendum

Peace between Israel and Egypt over the past 30 years has heavily relied on the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty and the 1978 Camp David Accords. Following a year of protest and revolution in Egypt that dissolved the nation's standing constitution and parliament, The Muslim Brotherhood won a majority of seats in elections this past fall. Set to take control as Egypt's new ruling party, a representative from the Muslim Brotherhood now says that maintaining peace with Israel may be put to a vote, Arutz Sheva reports:

"Rashad Bayoumi, deputy Supreme Leader of the Brotherhood, told the London-based newspaper Al-Hayaton Sunday it respects international treaties and will leave the issue of the peace treaty in the hands of the people. The pact was signed by then-Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, but a 'cold peace' has set in over the past several years.

'People will express their opinions on it. All parties can reconsider the treaty and Egyptians haven't yet had their say,' he explained. 'We won't violate the treaty. We can put it for referendum among people or parliament,' Bayoumi said.

In the recent Egyptian elections the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) won 36.3 percent of the list vote, while the ultra-conservative Salafi al-Nour Party took 28.8%. Along with not recognizing or planning to maintain current peace treaties, The Jerusalem Post reports that Bayoumi also said Sunday that the party has no intentions to recognize the nation of Israel, or sit down with its leaders:

"When asked whether it is a requirement for the government in Egypt to recognize Israel, Bayoumi responded by saying: 'This is not an option, whatever the circumstances, we do not recognize Israel at all. It’s an occupying criminal enemy.'

The deputy leader stressed during the interview that no Muslim Brotherhood members would ever meet with Israelis for negotiations.'I will not allow myself to sit down with criminals.'”

The rise of The Arab Spring ousted Hosni Mubarak in February after serving as Egypt's President for 30 years. The Jerusalem Post reports that the new Egyptian Parliament’s prime job will be appointing a 100-man assembly to write a new constitution, which will define the president’s powers and parliament’s clout in the new Egypt.