The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has called attention to the outrageous warmongering by so-called “moderate” Egyptian presidential candidate Mohammad ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Western backed “reform candidate” campaigning to become Egypt’s next president, who said in an interview yesterday (4/4/2011) with the Al-Watan Arab newspaper that, “if Israel attacked Gaza we would declare war against the Zionist regime.”
In that same interview, warming to his theme, ElBaradei elaborated that “In case of any future Israeli attack on Gaza – as the next president of Egypt – I will open the Rafah border crossing and will consider different ways to implement the joint Arab defense agreement.”
As Middle East analyst Barry Rubin notes: “Think about what that [ElBaradei’s statement] means! Muslim Brotherhood and other volunteers will flood into Gaza to fight the Jews. Arms from Iran and Syria will pour into the Gaza Strip including longer-range missiles, landed openly at Egyptian ports…And that “joint Arab defense agreement”? That means Egypt would consult with Syria and other Arab states about joining the war, spreading it throughout the region.”
Clearly, then, ElBaradei is no moderate and will not serve as a force for Western reform or regional calm and reconciliation. A recent review of his public record makes very clear how dangerous ElBaradei would be as the President of Egypt.
As the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohammad ElBaradei repeatedly ignored obvious signs of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons program, obfuscated and misrepresented the known facts of the Iranian nuclear program to the UN Security council, actively delayed any action to curb the Iranian program, and sought repeatedly to delegitimize concerns about the Iranian program.
At an October 2009 joint press conference in Tehran with Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, ElBaradei, still head of the IAEA at this time, declared: “Israel is the number one threat to the Middle East given the nuclear arms it possesses.”
In April 2010, Mohammad ElBaradei publicly expressed support for the “Palestinian Resistance,” including Hamas violence against Israel, saying that Gaza was the “world’s biggest jail,” and explained that Palestinian violence was the only path open to the Palestinian people because “the Israeli occupation only understands the language of violence.”
Even though ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have been at odds over the last few weeks, the fact remains that the Muslim Brotherhood — the radical Islamist group that has inspired more jihadists than any other in the world, and whose Palestinian branch, Hamas is the terrorist organization in control of Gaza and that remains committed to the violent destruction of Israel — endorsed Mohammad ElBaradei to negotiate with the Egyptian regime on behalf of the demonstrators and to lead a transitional government.
Nor was this not an unreciprocated endorsement: Mohammad ElBaradei has until very recently been an ardent defender of the Muslim Brotherhood. As ElBaradei noted in his January 30, 2011, CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria, “You know, the Muslim Brotherhood has nothing to do with the Iranian model, has nothing to do with extremism, as we have seen it in Afghanistan and other places…And I have been reaching out to them. We need to include them. They are part of the Egyptian society, as much as the Marxist party here.” Or as ElBaradei told Der Spiegel (1/25/2011) “We should stop demonizing the Muslim Brotherhood. It is incorrect that our only choice is between oppression under Mubarak and the chaos of religious extremists. I have many differences with the Muslim Brotherhood. But they have not committed any acts of violence in five decades. They too want change. If we want democracy and freedom, we have to include them instead of marginalizing them.” The very next day, Muhammad Ghannem, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood told the Iranian news network, Al-Alam, “the people should be prepared for war against Israel.”
ZOA National President Morton Klein said: “It is astonishing that Mohammad ElBaradei can openly threaten war with Israel over potential legitimate defensive action against terrorist in Hamas controlled Gaza. By making this statement, ElBaradei, is essentially encouraging Hamas to attack by making it clear that Egypt would militarily defend Hamas should it take any legitimate defensive measures. This is not only encouraging Hamas terrorism, it is also making clear his intention of aligning Egypt with the Iranian-backed Hamas, an organization, we must never forget, which enjoins its members by charter and by daily explicit affirmation to the ultimate destruction of Israel and to genocide against the Jewish people. We note, as well, that ZOA is extremely concerned that Samantha Power, the Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director of Multilateral Affairs on the Staff of the National Security Council who has repeatedly stated her mission is to end genocide and other “crimes against humanity,” has said nothing about this genocidal threat from Hamas against Jews, making this possible Egypt-Hamas-Iran alliance under ElBaradei even more alarming to contemplate.”
“How can Western powers and analysts continue with the charade that ElBaradei is a moderate reformer? From his recent statements, as well as from his decade long role in the IAEA playing defense for Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and his clearly demonstrated willingness to support radical Islamist terrorist groups, it is clear that Mohammad ElBaradei is actually an extremist who, should he ascend to high office, would be a force for regional instability and would lead Egypt directly into the Iranian orbit of influence.”
“It is unfortunate that this horrible possible outcome has been made more, rather than less, likely as a result of President Obama’s policies. President Obama’s perceived foreign policy weakness and meekness has only emboldened radicals Islamists with the implicit message that the United States is unable or unwilling to enforce or protect its interests. By demanding that Mubarak step aside for “change” and stoking the forces of this revolution to triumph, by making this issue larger than just Mubarak and his personal failings, by essentially legitimizing a role for the Muslim Brotherhood, by not pressing for assurances of fidelity to Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, an essential anchor of US policy in the region, President Obama has made it more comfortable for ElBaradei and others in Egypt to take this extremist belligerent stand.
“Further, by forcing Israel to minimize its essential sanctions on the Hamas regime in Gaza and by actively sending aid to the Gaza strip, thereby rewarding Hamas’ violence and intransigence, by repeatedly trying to entice Syria away from Iran, by stressing sympathy with the Palestinians while actively appearing to create distance in the US-Israel alliance, President Obama has helped strengthen the notion that all non Al-Qaida radical Islamist groups are merely “moderates-in-training” – to use Barry Rubin’s phrase. This, in turn, has further isolated Israel. It is, thus, no wonder that people like ElBaradei are more confident in publicly calling for possible alignment with Iranian interests, which of course includes the destruction of the America’s strongest and most reliable ally in the region – namely the Jewish State of Israel.”