Egyptian Islamists: We'll negotiate with Israel

Spokesman for Salafi movement's Al-Nour party says nothing preventing talks with Israel, but senior party members claim no final decision reached: 'Peace treaty must be respected after reexamination'

Roi Kais |Published: 12.20.11 , 12:13

The radical Salafi movement's Al-Nour party, which is currently placed second in the Egyptian parliamentary elections behind the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party, has said it would be willing to negotiate with Israel under certain conditions, Ynet reported Tuesday.

Salafi movement leaders announced that they plan to respect all treaties that Egypt has signed, including the peace treaty with Israel.

Al-Nour spokesman Yousri Hamad said there was nothing that was preventing the party from engaging in dialogue with Israel, but party leaders clarified that his comments do not reflect the movement's position and that the matter is being examined.

Hamad told a Kuwaiti newspaper that any talks with Israel would be held "under the supervision of the Foreign Ministry. We will not allow any secret negotiations."

The Al-Nour spokesman said the Muslim Brotherhood's refusal to negotiate with Israel is unrealistic.

However, a member of the party's Supreme Council said it has yet to reach a decision on whether or not to "engage in dialogue with Israeli diplomats."

Also on Tuesday, Al-Nour chairman Emad El-Din Abdel Ghafour told Arab media outlets that "the agreements Egypt has signed must be respected and we wish to implement them. There are several clauses in the treaty with Israel that have yet to be implemented, such as a solution to the Palestinian issue, the right to self-determination, self-governance and the establishment of a Palestinian state on Palestinian land.

"There are many (clauses) that must be implemented so the Palestinians will feel that they have benefited from the peace process," he added.

Abdel Ghafour did not rule out the possibility of reexamining the peace agreement with Israel, but stressed that diplomatic relations with the Jewish state were based on the interests of Egypt and the Arab world in general.