Israel wants any new Egyptian government to 'honor peace'
15:33 03/02/2011 TEL AVIV, February 3 (RIA Novosti) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty will not be threatened by any new Egyptian government that may emerge from the current protests in Cairo.
"We expect any government of Egypt to honor the peace. Moreover, we expect the international community to expect any government of Egypt to honor the peace," he said in a speech to parliament.
Protests demanding the end of President Hosni Mubarak's almost three-decade rule broke out in Egypt on January 25. The unrest, seen by many analysts as a major threat to repressive governments in the region, has already claimed the lives of up to 300 and injured several thousand.
"Should the forces that wish to carefully reform and democratize Egypt prevail, I am convinced that such positive change would also buttress a wider Arab-Israeli peace," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli premier said however if a radical regime was to replace Mubarak, who guaranteed peace with Israel, the result would be a "blow to peace and democracy."
Earlier on Thursday, Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood movement unveiled its plans to scrap a peace treaty with Israel if it comes to power and forms a provisional government.
Egypt was the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel and sign a peace agreement with the Israeli government in 1979. It is also a major mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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