US expects Egypt to honour peace with Israel
By DPA, IANSFriday, February 4, 2011
WASHINGTON - The US expects the Egyptian government to honour previous peace agreements with Israel regardless of who is in power, the White House said Friday.
“Our expectation would be that whatever the next government of Egypt is, that they would adhere to a treaty signed by the government of Egypt,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Gibbs was referring to the 1978 Camp David Accords, which were brokered by the US and formed the basis of a 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
The political turmoil in Egypt and the possible ouster of President Hosny Mubarak has renewed worries - especially in Israel - that a new government in Cairo will not be as friendly to the Jewish state.
The Camp David Accords were signed by Mubarak predecessor Anwar Sadat and have remained in place under Mubarak, who is widely viewed as a source of stability in the region.
“The treaty is not with a particular president,” Gibbs said. “It is with the government, the country and the people of Egypt.”
The Israelis have been particularly concerned about a potential rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in a post-Mubarak era.
The Islamist group, officially banned under Mubarak, traditionally opposes any peace agreements with Israel but has more recently signalled a softer position on the Camp David Accords.
