Israel fears that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood could take power and start supplying arms to Hamas.
Israel is monitoring the Egyptian developments silently but with concern. Israel, the entity that always has an opinion on any topic, had in recent days been silent on the ongoing protests in Egypt against the 30-year-rule of its ally President Hosni Mubarak. It's not because Israel does not care about the situation there but Israel fear the downfall of Mubarak’s regime which it has many interests and deals with. Israel fears that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood could take power and start supplying arms to Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ordered silence on Egypt protests but security officials said they worry the protests could threaten ties and spread to the Palestinian Authority. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the two officials said Netanyahu had told all government spokesmen not to comment on the situation in Egypt. An anonymous Israeli minister blatantly voiced support for Mubarak saying Friday that the Egyptian regime will use the necessary force to remain in power as protests rock the country. Mubarak is “strong enough to overcome the unrest,” the minister said, adding that there might be more violence. "Israel cannot do anything about what is happening there," Israel's former Industry and Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer claimed in remarks to Army Radio. "All we can do is express our support for (Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak and hope the riots pass quietly." He added that Egypt was Israel's most important ally in the region. But Israeli diplomats in Egypt feared the protests and reports have said that they left the country. According to Al-Quds Al-Arabi report, the Israeli diplomats were transferred by a helicopter to an aerial base, and then were carried to the occupied lands by a special plane.Israel Monitoring Egypt Rage with Concern, Officials Ordered to Remain Silent
