As Egypt votes for its new president, Israel’s left-wing daily, Ha’aretz, reports that Israeli officials blame the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood for a Hamas rocket attack on Friday, June 15. Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is vying for power in Egypt behind presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi (above).
Ha’aretz’s Avi Issacharoff and Gili Cohen report:
According to these [Israeli] officials, the rockets were launched from the Sinai Peninsula by a Bedouin unit, according to Hamas orders, even though Hamas itself wasn’t the initiator of the launching, but responded to the request of the Brotherhood, who wanted such an event on the eve of the second round of presidential elections in Egypt.
Despite pretenses at moderation–which seem to have been accepted by the Obama administration–the Muslim Brotherhood is using hostility to Israel to build its political support in Egypt. Its ascent to power could spell trouble for a peace accord with Israel that has been denounced by Egyptians and Arab governments throughout the region for decades.