By James A. Lyons
By arming the rebels, we're aiding al Qaeda
The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to maneuver its way between its fierce anti-Israel ideology and the realities of governing as it ascends to leadership in Egypt for the first time in its history and faces the key question of how to deal with the country's peace treaty with the Jewish state.
"If party leaders were spotted making contacts with Israel, it will cause upheaval inside the group," said Tharwat Kherbawi, a former Brother. "The Brotherhood fears its base, raised and fed on hatred of Israel. They have been told for decades that any deal with Israel is corrupt."
In 2007, Essam el-Arian, now deputy head of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice political party, raised an uproar within the group when he told a newspaper the Brotherhood, if it came to power, was ready to recognize Israel and respect peace deals.
