(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Jacques Neriah - Will Egypt's Islamists accept the military as the country's source of power and authority? Since the beginning of the revolution against Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood has avoided any direct confrontation with the military and has repeatedly sought dialog with it. Indeed, since the Brotherhood is focused on domestic policy, it should have no intrinsic problem accepting the fact that the military will decide on matters of national security and foreign policy, at least initially. It seems that the military has managed to outmaneuver other forces in the country by creating conditions on the ground whereby everybody discreetly feels the military should play a role in safeguarding the political process, despite calls for its complete marginalization from political life. It is no coincidence that the only actual democracy Egyptians have ever experienced in five millennia was between 1946 and 1952. The writer was formerly Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
2012-03-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive