Although the Egyptian army has announced that it will honor the country's peace agreements with Israel, a worrying signal came yesterday evening from a prominent opposition figure in Egypt on relations between Cairo and Jerusalem.
"The Camp David agreement is over," said Dr. Ayman Nour, head of the Party of Tomorrow, in an interview with an Egyptian radio station, according to a report by Channel 2 News. Dr. Nour spent several years in jail in Egypt, and the US lobbied for his freedom. He now intends to run for the presidency of Egypt, in election due to be held in a few months time.
In the interview, Nour added that "Egypt should at least renegotiate the terms of the agreement." Dr. Nour is not identified with the Muslim Brotherhood, but is rather considered a liberal and a democrat. His remarks are therefore all the more worrying, although for the time being they are the only statements of their kind heard from such a source.
Yesterday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the Egyptian army's announcement that "Egypt is committed to the regional and international agreements to which it is a signatory." "The peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, which has lasted many years, has contributed greatly to both countries, and is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the entire Middle East," Netanyahu said.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 14, 2011
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