Egypt, Israel ties not at risk, says Barak
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Israel's ties with Egypt are safe and sound and post-Mubarak regime is unlikely to have any impact on the relationship between the two neighbours, Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak has said.
"I don't think that the relationship between Israel and Egypt is under any risk or any kind of operation risk is waiting us just behind the corner," Barak told ABC news in an interview.
Egypt has maintained a landmark peace accord with the Jewish state for more than 30 years — only one of two Arab countries to do so.
Mr Barak said that Egypt's uprising shares nothing with the 1979 Iranian revolution.
"I think that the Egyptians, they have their own way. I think that the direction is something which emerges very genuinely," he said.
"It was not something that was organized by extremist groups of Muslim radical origins. I think that we should respect their intention and need. I think that they have to listen to voices from the rest of the world," Mr Barak said.
Mr Barak, however, cautioned against holding any election in Egypt at a short notice arguing that this would benefit the Muslim Brotherhood.
"The real winners of any short-term elections, let's say within 90 days, will be the Muslim Brotherhood because they are already ready to jump," he said.
"The usual revolutions, if they are violent, there is interruption of idealist sentiment at the first moment and, later on, sooner than later, the only group which is coherent, focused, ready to kill and be killed if necessary takes power. That should avoided in Egypt because that could be a catastrophe for the whole region," Mr Barak said.
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