Muslim Brotherhood welcomes Hamas PM in Egypt

Haniyeh kicks off regional tour with meeting in Cairo; Muslim Brotherhood leader "paying close attention to Palestinian issue."

By REUTERS
Haniyeh, Muslim Brotherhood leader 311 (R) (photo credit: Courtesy)
Haniyeh, Muslim Brotherhood leader 311 (R)
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh received a warm welcome Monday when he arrived at the Muslim Brotherhood Headquarters in Cairo.
Haniyeh is on his first regional tour since 2007 that will take him to a number of Arab and Islamic countries.
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Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badei welcomed Haniyeh at a joint conference and said that his party was concerned with Palestinian issues.
"Your highness Mr. Prime Minister, our brothers, Ismail Haniyeh and his accompanying delegations -- you are welcome to our country; you are welcome to our headquarters," Badei said. "The general center of Muslim Brotherhood is paying attention all the time to the Palestinian issue as it pays attention to the issues of liberation all over the world."
Haniyeh responded with: "The Islamic resistance movement of Hamas, by definition is, a jihadist movement by the Muslim Brotherhood, Palestinian on the surface, Islamic at its core and its goal is liberation."
An aide said Haniyeh's trip will also include stops in Tunisia, Bahrain and Turkey.
On the eve of the tour, Hamas reiterated its opposition to renouncing violence and recognizing Israel’s right to exist.
After Egypt, Haniyeh’s tour will take him Sudan, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, said a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip.
Unconfirmed reports said that Haniyeh will also visit Benghazi for talks with the new leaders of Libya.
Haniyeh left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing at the head of a delegation consisting of ministers and top Hamas officials.