The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s new presidential candidate Mohammed Mursi, has told a press conference that, if elected, his government’s top priority will be strong-arming Israel into accepting Palestinian land demands. But, while the Muslim Brotherhood already controls Egypt’s Parliament, Mursi faces a stiff challenge from former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa for the presidency.

Moussa, too, is likely to be openly hostile toward Israel. Moussa recently told reporters that if elected, he will work to make the Middle East a nuclear weapons-free zone, starting with Israel. He had previously stated that Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel needs to be revised. Before being disqualified from the presidential race, former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman reportedly told an Egyptian newspaper that a Muslim Brotherhood control of the presidency “would lead to war with Israel.”

The director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs at Israel’s Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad, noted that the Muslim Brotherhood ultimately sees the land of Israel as an Islamic “Waqf,” a “holy trust” that must be returned one way or another to Muslim control. Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, recently labeled Egypt, “a greater threat than even Iran’s defiant nuclear programme.” According to reports, Lieberman has advised significantly bolstering Israel’s southern defenses ahead of the Egyptian presidential election.

Source: IsraelToday; ChristianNewsToday

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 121:1-8

PRAY: Earnestly for peacemakers to prevail both in Egypt and in Iran, and also in the Israeli leadership.