Brotherhood blasts peace with Israel

2012-11-22 21:14

Smoke rises during an explosion from an Israeli forces strike in Gaza City. (File, AP)

Cairo — The leader and top cleric of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has denounced peace efforts with Israel, urging holy war to liberate Palestinian territories.

Mohammed Badei's call on Thursday comes just a day after Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who also hails from the Brotherhood, succeeded in brokering a truce to end eight days of Israel-Hamas fighting.

Under the deal, Gaza's ruling Hamas is to stop rocket fire into Israel while Israel is to cease airstrikes and allow the opening of the strip's long-blockaded borders.

Badei says "jihad is obligatory" for Muslims and that peace deals with Israel are a "game of grand deception". He says there's been enough negotiations, the "enemy knows nothing but language of force".

The Brotherhood and its members don't recognise Israel and refuse to hold direct talks with Israelis.

- AP