The government of Israel is making all the right noises and appropriate
statements expressing hope that the new government of Egypt will maintain the
cold peace.
But we should be under no illusions. Even the greatest
optimists cannot gloss over the reality that the Islamic forces of the Muslim
Brotherhood seeking to control Egypt are committed to ultimately revoking the
peace treaty.
Their motives stem not merely from nationalist xenophobia
but are deeply rooted in fanatical extremist Islamic ideology, which is
infinitely more intense and inflexible. Although Mubarak treated Israel like a
pariah and exploited popular anti-Semitism, in comparison to these Islamic
zealots he would be considered a liberal.
The Muslim Brotherhood is the
organization which spawned Hamas, and it remains adamantly committed to wiping
the “Zionist entity” off the face of the map. This was reiterated last month by
its leader Mohammed Badie, who called for “imposing Muslim rule throughout
Palestine” and “freeing it from the filth of Zionism.”
It represents the
most intolerant wing of Islam, rejecting coexistence with other religions, and
is renowned for persecuting and harassing Christians. The Brotherhood is not
merely dedicated to imposing sharia law in Egypt but is fervently committed to
achieving global conquest on behalf of Islam.
Its leaders, who during
World War II allied themselves with the Nazis, are notorious for promoting rabid
anti-Semitism. The imams continuously remind their followers that Jews are the
descendants of apes and pigs and deserve to be killed as enemies of the Prophet
Mohammed. They have a long tradition of assassinating opponents, terrorism and
suicide bombings.
However, the Muslim Brotherhood is pragmatic and
politically savvy and thus disinclined to overplay its hand, initially avoiding
extreme behavior which could result in a break with the US and Western countries
and lead to a total meltdown of the already disintegrating Egyptian economy.
They recognize that Mubarak’s ouster was principally propelled by economic
factors and that if they are to retain power they must feed 80 million
Egyptians.
US Administration spokesmen are burying their heads in the
sand when they imply that once the Brotherhood is in control it is likely to act
responsibly and provide a pluralistic environment for Egyptians. Even more
absurd are the reassurances that it is undergoing a liberal transformation and
committed to maintaining a democratic system of government. Similar delusional
nonsense was disseminated about Hamas when it “democratically” gained control of
Gaza.
Every “elected” radical Islamic group has ultimately imposed a
regime in which political opponents and other independent societal elements were
marginalized. One need only observe the more “democratic” and “liberal” Erdogan
Islamist regime in Turkey which, in a relatively short time, completely
eradicated the reforms of Kemal Ataturk, imprisoned the former military leaders
and replaced the secular military government with an Islamic authoritarian
regime. The Muslim Brotherhood is far more radical than its Islamic Turkish
counterpart.
The reality is that democracy cannot survive in a society
dominated by Islamic extremists who brook no opposition. Indeed, much as we
despise authoritarian, dictatorial and even totalitarian regimes, precedents
clearly indicate that a regime ruled by Islamic fanatics is likely to be far
more oppressive than a military autocracy.
Although weakened, the
military did dissolve the Islamic fundamentalist-dominated parliament and still
represents a barrier to total Muslim Brotherhood control. But it is likely to
avoid a direct confrontation unless it is confident it has public support. In
this explosive environment, US pressure on the military to stand down can only
serve to further undermine Western interests and lead to intensified
oppression.
We should not expect newly elected President Mohamed Mursi to
be a moderating influence. His recent undertakings to act on behalf of the
entire Egyptian people are totally out of synch with his long-standing record of
support for hardline Brotherhood policies.
Just prior to the election,
Mursi announced that the Koran would be the constitution of Egypt and “that this
nation will enjoy blessing and revival only through the Islamic sharia. I swear
for Allah and before you all that regardless of the actual text [of the
constitution]... it will truly reflect the sharia.”
Mursi, who
refused to
accept a congratulatory call from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, stated that
he would honor Egypt’s existing international agreements including the peace
treaty with Israel. Yet he repeatedly includes the caveat that it is necessary
to re-examine the 1978 Camp David agreements and that if Israel’s leaders (who
he previously referred to as “vampires” and “murderers”) did not keep their
commitments to the Palestinian people, Egypt was not obliged to honor the peace
treaty.
Oft repeated chants expressed at his rallies included “Mursi will
liberate Gaza,” “Jerusalem will become the capital of the United Arab nation”
and “death for the sake of Allah is our most lofty aspiration.”
Setting
aside the current “standoff” with Israel, there is every likelihood that at a
future time of his choosing, like Arafat, Mursi is likely to suggest that the
Prophet’s violation of the Treaty of Hudaybiya in 629 CE on the grounds that
agreements with infidels and Jews need not be honored, was a historical
precedent that could be applied against Israel.
Any doubt about Mursi’s
outlook toward the West was clarified with his televised inaugural presidential
speech, which the US government ignored. He proclaimed that “it is my duty to
make all efforts” to seek the release of the “Blind Sheikh,” Egyptian Omar Abdel
Rahman, who headed the terrorist group which allegedly orchestrated the
assassination of Sadat, was accused of being allied with Osama bin- Laden and is
now serving a life sentence in a North Carolina prison for conspiring in 1993 to
destroy the World Trade Center and seeking to bomb New York City
landmarks.
In reporting this, the New York Times observed that Mursi had
previously remarked that he suspected that unknown hidden hands might have
played a role in the 9/11 World Trade Center bombings.
“When you come and
tell me that the plane hit the tower like a knife in butter, you are insulting
us.”
Now, notwithstanding undertakings to Jewish leaders that he would
not invite Mursi to the White House unless he made a public commitment to
genuinely adhere to the peace treaty with Israel, Obama has announced that he
will be hosting the man who will urge him to release an unrepentant major global
terrorist leader.
We in Israel are on the front lines. We may enjoy
relative tranquility from Egypt in the short term due to the prevailing chaos
and restraints from the military. However, Hamas now feels confident that in the
event of a future clash with Israel, Egypt is likely to provide it with maximum
support and may ultimately even join it in confronting us.
This means
that our border with Egypt will need to be strongly secured and Israel must gird
itself for an increase in terrorist attacks emanating from the Sinai Peninsula.
These are likely to include missile attacks, making the relationship with Egypt
extremely fragile.
The only bright side of this dismal picture is our
adversaries’ awareness of the incredible power of the IDF. This ultimately
represents the greatest deterrent against further deterioration or escalation of
assaults against us.
The writer’s website can be viewed at
www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ileibler@netvision.net.il