Netanyahu hopes Egypt's new military rulers will honor peace treaty with Israel

PanARMENIAN.Net - After holding urgent discussions with his security advisers on the impact of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu welcomed a pledge by Egypt's new military rulers to continue to honor Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.

On Feb 12, a spokesman for Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took control of the country after Mubarak stepped down a day before, emphasized the military's "commitment to all Egypt's international treaties."

The future of Israel's 1979 peace treaty with Egypt has been at the core of Israeli concerns throughout the unrest that led to Mubarak's ouster. Israeli officials have also expressed deep fears that the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group, which rejects the peace deal with Israel, could be a powerful player in any post-Mubarak government.

Unlike President Obama and other world leaders who saluted Egyptian pro-democracy demonstrators on their victory, Netanyahu steered clear of congratulations and focused his first remarks after Mubarak's departure on Israel's security concerns.

In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu welcomed the Egyptian military's pledge and added: "The long-standing peace treaty between Israel and Egypt has greatly contributed to both countries and is the cornerstone for peace and stability in the entire Middle East."

On Feb 13, Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, to discuss the situation in Egypt. Mullen, who is in Israel ostensibly to bid farewell to his outgoing Israeli counterpart, will also confer with other top Israeli defense officials before traveling to Jordan and Egypt to explore the regional security implications of Mubarak's departure, The Washington Post reported.