Top > World > 2006 > September > 2006-09-20

Egyptian Group Calls for Abandoning Israel Treaty

In a suggestion that might spark more than a little anxiety to the northeast of Egypt, the ?kefaya? opposition group in the Arab Republic, known in English as ?Enough?, has stated that the Camp David Peace Accords between the State of Israel and Egypt should be abandoned. ?Enough? has focused on reforming Egypt in a variety of ways, and the anti-Israel suggestion is as much about Arab nationalism as it is about questioning what benefits have come the way of Egypt since Anwar Sadat made peace with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin.

?We are doing this because the treaty has not been beneficial to Egypt, and in light of the recent bombing of Lebanon by Israel, why would Egypt, as the most influential nation in the region, continue to deal with Israel as an ally?? an Enough spokesman said. While not mentioning the fact that Israel has in fact complied with more U.N. resolutions than all the Arab League put together, Enough is demanding Israeli compliance with U.N. resolutions regarding the Palestinian issue.

?They have not done this so why should we continue to put up with this, especially when they take advantage of Egypt and its power with other Arab states,? the Enough speaker said. However, the chance that the treaty will be annulled is extremely unlikely, in no small part because Egypt?s having signed it earned the country an amount of foreign U.S. aid incomparable with many other nations.