Egypt’s new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on Wednesday used his
first speech at the United Nations to demand curbs on Western free
speech rights and “an end to all forms of occupation of Arab lands.”
Morsi also used his U.S. speech to push his revolutionary mix of Islamic and progressive demands that all Middle Eastern nations, presumably including Israel and Iran, be stripped of their nuclear weapons; that other countries bring down Syria’s government; that UN countries establish a “new global economic governance”; and that Western countries continue to transfer aid and technology to Egypt’s government and poverty-stricken population.
Much of his emphasis was on the establishment of a Palestinian state. “My duty [is] to support our Palestinian brothers and sisters … [by] putting an end to all forms of occupation of Arab lands,” he said in the speech.
“I call for immediate, serious movement, as of now, to put an end to colonization, occupation and settlements and the alteration in the identity of occupied Jerusalem,” he said, not specifying whether he considered all of Israel, or only the West Bank, to be occupied territory.
According to Islamist ideas championed by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, all territory conquered by Islamic armies since the 630s is considered Islamic in perpetuity. In his speech, Morsi called for a Palestinian state, but did not mention Israel, or suggest that Jews could have a government in the region.
So far, with Egypt still dependent on outside aid, Morsi has not moved to formally cancel Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, despite periodic popular and political pressure.
He also criticized the principle of a preemptive strike, which Israel is said to be considering against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Morsi also used his U.S. speech to push his revolutionary mix of Islamic and progressive demands that all Middle Eastern nations, presumably including Israel and Iran, be stripped of their nuclear weapons; that other countries bring down Syria’s government; that UN countries establish a “new global economic governance”; and that Western countries continue to transfer aid and technology to Egypt’s government and poverty-stricken population.
Much of his emphasis was on the establishment of a Palestinian state. “My duty [is] to support our Palestinian brothers and sisters … [by] putting an end to all forms of occupation of Arab lands,” he said in the speech.
“I call for immediate, serious movement, as of now, to put an end to colonization, occupation and settlements and the alteration in the identity of occupied Jerusalem,” he said, not specifying whether he considered all of Israel, or only the West Bank, to be occupied territory.
According to Islamist ideas championed by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, all territory conquered by Islamic armies since the 630s is considered Islamic in perpetuity. In his speech, Morsi called for a Palestinian state, but did not mention Israel, or suggest that Jews could have a government in the region.
So far, with Egypt still dependent on outside aid, Morsi has not moved to formally cancel Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, despite periodic popular and political pressure.
He also criticized the principle of a preemptive strike, which Israel is said to be considering against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment