Egypt’s Morsi pledges to work for peace in first message to Israel

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi told Israel on Tuesday he wanted to work for peace in the Middle East, in the first official message sent by the Arab state’s new Islamist leadership to Israel. Politicians in Israel had expressed alarm in private over the election of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi in June’s presidential vote and fear that over time their country’s peace treaty with Egypt could be eroded. “I am looking forward to exerting our best efforts to get the Middle East peace process back to its right track in order to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region, including [the] Israeli people,” Morsi said in the letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for Morsi in Cairo could not be reached for comment on the letter, written in English and released by the office of the Israeli president. An Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Morsi’s letter was “a general message with a positive spirit, but did not indicate any new direction” in bilateral relations. Egypt’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak had guaranteed the 1979 peace treaty with Israel for decades. The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial post. Peres had sent Morsi two letters, his office said, one congratulating him for winning the vote and a second letter of greetings to mark the fasting month of Ramadan, Reuters reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also sent Morsi a letter congratulating him on his electoral victory, though he has not yet received a reply. Also on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta reaffirmed US support for Egypt’s democratic transition and stability during a lightning visit to Cairo on Tuesday as part of a regional tour, Agence France-Presse reported. Panetta met Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), as well as Morsi. “My message today was consistent with our previous conversations — the US strongly supports an orderly, peaceful and legitimate transition to a democratic system of government here in Egypt,” Panetta told reporters. “I believe [Tantawi] was critical in overseeing a peaceful, free and fair election. I commended him and the SCAF and their positive role in the process,” he said. Panetta said he was “pleased to hear Field Marshal Tantawi’s firm commitment to the transition to full civilian rule.” Panetta stressed “the importance of promoting a broad-based coalition that is critical to the success of the government here in Egypt”, AFP reported. “I was convinced that President Morsi is his own man and that he is the president of all the Egyptian people and that he’s truly committed to implement democratic reforms here in Egypt,” Panetta said. “It’s my view that President Morsi and Field Marshal Tantawi have a very good working relationship and are working together for the same ends,” Panetta said. The Pentagon chief stressed the need for strong military cooperation between the US and its long-time Middle East ally. Egypt receives $1.3 billion annually in US military aid. From jordantimes