Petition campaign to cancel US aid, Israel peace treaty

[DJKeefy]

Egypt's Rebel Campaign launches petition to cancel US aid, Israel peace treaty.

The Rebel Campaign, which spearheaded the 30 June mass protests, calls for the restoration of Egyptian sovereignty in petition targeting foreign aid and Camp David.

The Rebel Campaign (Tamarod) has launched on its official website a petition to demand the cancellation of both US aid and the Camp David peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

"After the unacceptable American intervention in Egyptian affairs, and how the US supports terrorist groups in Egypt, I demand as an Egyptian citizen who signed this petition to hold a referendum on two matters. The first, to refuse US aid ... in all its forms. The second, to cancel the peace agreement between Egypt and the Israeli entity and rewording security agreements in order to ensure the rights of the Egyptian state in securing its borders," the petition reads, launched Saturday.

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979.

The Tamarod drive to cancel US aid and the Israel peace treaty is labelled "Reviving National Sovereignty."

"National sovereignty has been broken for many years and it is time to restore it," the Rebel Campaign said in explaining the petition.

Tamarod has already joined the "No to Aid" campaign that started 1 August 2013, calling for the cancellation of US aid.

The Rebel Campaign spearheaded calls for the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi, leading to mass demonstrations 30 June. The campaign managed to collect, by its own count, more than 22 million signatures on a petition calling for Morsi to step down and for early presidential elections to be held.

In an interview with Reuters published Saturday, Mahmoud Badr, co-founder of Tamarod, stated that he had a message for US President Barack Obama who expressed concern regarding the crackdown against Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

"I tell you, President Obama, why don't you and your small, meaningless aid go to hell?" said Badr, accusing Washington of "unacceptable interference in Egypt's internal affairs."

"We only respect those who respect us and our will and reject those who don't, and that is the motto of the new Egyptian foreign policy," Badr said. "I hope President Obama reads that and knows it," he added.

US aid is spilt between $1.3 billion in military aid and around $250 million in economic aid to Egypt annually.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/79334.aspx

[Bombay]

I think they got more important things to worry about and I doubt it will go down well with the interim government or the military.

[Dusak]

This is the problem when you give an Egyptian a few biro's and some A-four sheets, they can't write themselves so they get everybody to put their names on it.

[carrie]

I think sometimes the American's under estimate the antagonism felt towards them here. I believe it all stems originally from Obamas speach in Cairo, where he was cheered to the skies,when he promised to put an end to the illegal building of the Israeli'sand prevent them taking even more Palestinian land. Then did nothing. And the latest that he was working with Morsi to buy land here to move the people from the Gaza strip onto has really finished them off. The money that they give to Egypt each year is mainly to the Army so that they can buy F15s, and help keep the American arms business in operation. Long live the United States of Israel.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I think you might find that in the USA the level of antagonism felt towards Obama is at an all time high too. He is possibly probably going down as the worst President of the USA in history. Since being elected he has TALKED so much and done NOTHING. Not only in Egypt. Obama has pretty much been able to alienate most of the world. Amazing how giving out free phones and benefits ad nauseum will get you votes.

Obamas Administration has rung up MORE DEBT than ALL other Presidents of the USA combined. Pretty sad commentary or legacy he will be leaving.

[carrie]

LLL not meaning to be antagonistic but how do you know that he is the most unpopular Pres in history of the USA, is it just talk or have there been surveys done. How does the press treat him, he was elected to a second term not too long ago. From here he seems to be quite popular in the USA. But we have sometimes better information about what is happening here than others on the outside do, you live in Canada so are closer to the sources,I would genuinely like to know.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I was working for the past 15 yrs IN the USA for their government so was pretty up to date on the politics of the good old USA. Just recently returned to Canada a few months ago. I get American TV News daily and if you follow the commentators and commentaries, news reports, newspaper you would see that via the latest stats his, Obama, popularity has dropped to a 35% approval rating. Pretty low and grim.

[Dusak]

I personally think that he's a dam fine chap doing the best he can under extreme[ist] circumstances.

[Remus]

If the US decided to stop giving aid to Egypt, I think by the legal terms and framework
of the Camp David Agreement they would have to stop giving aid to Israel. Big problem.

However, if Egypt decided to refuse the aid (very popular with Egyptian society) I think
the aid for Israel could continue.

Egypt would then rely on Saudi and three Gulf States. And maybe Russia. And the Peace
Treaty would be finished. Big problem.

These matters are being debated NOW. It's all very complex.

[Stevepj]

The only way the US could make itself popular on the Arab street would be to carpet bomb Tel Aviv. Let the Egyptians get their aid from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@ Remus - you got it straight.......

@ Dusak - nooooooooooooooooo he isn't.

[Remus]

Thank you LLL - but my admiration for Obama in very difficult
times for the US is undiminished.

[Bombay]

Sisi has spent a lot of time in the US and is not going to stop any US aid or the Camp David Agreement the army are working closely with Israel to sort out Siani.

[Remus]

General Sisi spent a relatively short time in military colleges in
both US and UK.

He's a sophisticated man, and will be agonising, I believe, about the
present turmoil in Cairo and the Sinai - plus the future democracy in Egypt.

If there are elections, the Egyptians might favour a party and/or president who
do not favour being aligned to the US.

If there were a bookmaker's here I would put my money on Hamdeen
Sabahi for leader, a working class boy who made good, with the credentials
of being imprisoned by both Sadat and Mubarak in his student/journalist days,
and intelligently critical of the Camp David Accord.

[Hafiz]

A lot of the $1.3 military aid is for spares. Apparently things "break" a lot and the Egypt air force holds some record for F-16 crashes. No one else can supply spares to Egypt other than the US. Saudi can help with money but not with technology. Robert Springborg is the expert in this area with scathing and funny stories about the Egyptian armed forces. The purpose of Camp David was to give Egypt some level of security against Israel.

Tamarod complains about US intervention in Egypt. Wonder what they mean? Do the complaints apply to the Gates,Ford,Carnegie etc foundations or the US owned American University in Cairo or the oceans of US private charity?

It states that the US supports terrorist organizations in Egypt. Really! Which ones. Does the US Senate know about this. So many lies to hide your own.

Tamarod states that the cancelling of Camp David will ensure its borders. Can't work that one out except if he means Sinai. The mess there is not new and is evidence of military incompetence rather than the limits of the treaty. On the contrary, in the past year Israel has allowed the Egyptian military more latitude in Sinai and is reported to have provided Egypt with intelligence about Hamas in Sinai. The other border, Libya, is about as porous as Sinai and that is not the fault of Israel/US but of further military incompetence.

The cancelling of the treaty would benefit only Israel and, as everyone except the Egyptians knows, Israel doesn't care much and could deal with Egypt in a day or two as it has on other occasions. The cancellation could make things worse with Israel and break the intelligence sharing which always happened under military rule in Egypt.

Tamarod are ranters with a juvenile approach to consequences and play to the crowd with hysterical claims based on half truths or lies. These people are dangerous for Egypt's interests. They are also very stupid and have some odd bedfellows, Israel and Syria, who welcome the return to military rule in Egypt.