Middle East News

Israel worried about Islamist gains in Egyptian elections

Dec 4, 2011, 9:53 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israeli officials Sunday expressed concern at the gains of Islamist parties in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said he hoped Egypt would not become an extremist Islamist state. 'We still hope to preserve the peace treaty with Egypt,' he told Israel Radio.

Environment Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel should nurture ties with any government that would be elected in Cairo and do all it could to safeguard the 1979 peace treaty with Egypt.

The two ministers are members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak earlier called what he said was a process of Islamization in Arab states 'very troubling.'

'It would be premature to say how those changes are going to influence the region. I hope that any government that is formed in Egypt will understand that there is no choice but to preserve the framework of international agreements, including the peace treaty with Israel,' the daily Yediot Ahronot quoted him as saying Saturday.

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