CAIRO: Egypt's Salafi al-Nour Party, which took the second largest share of seats in the first two stages of Egypt's parliamentary elections, has announced that it will respect all standing treaties between Israel and Egypt, including the 1979 Camp David Peace Accords. Amid diplomatic unease between the two states, the group also expressed willingness to negotiate with Israel in the future. Israel's new ambassador is also prepared to open communication with Islamic officials in Egypt, including representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood and the al-Nour Party. “We should make every effort to explain that we are not the enemies of the Egyptian people or enemies of the Palestinians,” said an official in Jerusalem. The Israeli government has not yet made any official attempts to communicate with the parties. Tensions between Israel and Egypt have heightened since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak, who protected Israeli interests during his 30-year rule. Relations have been increasingly uneasy, especially after Israeli Defense Forces shot five Egyptian soldiers dead in a border scuffle in the Sinai. In response to the incident, Egyptian demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Embassy on September 9, demanding that Egypt's interim government, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), take a stronger stand against Israel. The protesters stormed the embassy complex, tearing down a protective wall that was constructed around the building. Israeli diplomats were evacuated from the scene. Observers of Egyptian politics in have feared that the relationship between the two nations may dissolve with a post-Mubarak Egyptian government, as frustrations with Israel mount in the Egyptian street, and Islamist parties take the largest share of seats in Egypt's parliament. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/ej70e Tags: al-Nour Party, Camp David, featured Section: Egypt, Latest News
