Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood chief: We don't recognize Israel, but won't fig

[Behind the Aegis]

CAIRO - The leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood on Sunday, buoyed by an unexpectedly strong showing in parliamentary elections, credited public mistrust, frustration and anger with President Hosni Mubarak's regime for the Islamic group's fivefold increase in parliamentary seats with one round of voting still to go.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Mohammed Mehdi Akef also sought to allay Western concerns about the organization's newfound strength, saying it would not try to change Egypt's foreign policy, including its peace treaty with Israel.

"We do not recognize Israel, but we will not fight it. We will respect all the treaties (which Egypt signed with Israel)," said Akef, whose organization is considered the mother group for many Islamic fundamentalist movements such as the militant Palestinian Hamas.

Asked if the organization would try to prevent Hamas from making peace with Israel, Akef said: "We have nothing to do with Palestinian internal politics," he said.

...more... http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/650549.html