Jewish groups and supporters expressed concern on Thursday about the Obama administration's decision to re-engage with an Egyptian Islamist group before parliamentary elections in that country.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood in a "limited" effort to build ties with the group, as long as it espouses nonviolence. Jewish groups for months have worried about the Brotherhood's rise to prominence because it does not recognize Israel's right to exist and has ties to Hamas.

"This is something we're concerned about and are going to be watching very carefully," said Deborah Fidel, executive director of the Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee, an independent affiliate of the American Jewish Committee. "Anything that would give legitimacy to the Muslim Brotherhood, (which) has fueled hostility and anti-American and anti-Western and anti-Israel sentiment, is a concern."

Deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak banned the Brotherhood from forming a political party. It remained Egypt's largest and best-organized opposition group, however, fielding candidates for parliamentary elections as independents to skirt the ban. When popular uprisings brought down Mubarak's regime, worry spread that the Brotherhood was positioned to gain power.

"I have grave concerns about how the Muslim Brotherhood's role in a future Egyptian government will impact the United States' and Israel's national security," said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley. "It should not be lost on anyone that the Palestinian Islamist terrorism movement Hamas was created in 1987 as a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood to establish a militant opposition to Israel."

Toomey said he would "continue to closely monitor the administration's outreach."

Former Gov. Ed Rendell, who is Jewish, said he wasn't familiar with the specifics of the re-engagement, but he believes the United States has practical reasons for reaching out.

"In foreign policy, I think it's important we talk to everyone," Rendell said.

Sen. Bob Casey Jr.'s spokeswoman, April Mellody, noted that Casey, D-Scranton, wrote in an opinion piece in February during the Egyptian uprising:

"The U.S. would be well served to treat this group with a serious degree of skepticism. The burden of proof is on the Brotherhood as it seeks to engage in the political process. It must show that it would indeed abide by the Camp David Peace Accord, that violence is not a legitimate form of expression and that the Egyptian people deserve a secular government that provides for freedoms of expression, religion, and assembly."

It's been more than a month since President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly disagreed over the framework of a peace deal with Palestinians. The disagreement prompted Republicans to try to drive a wedge between the Democratic president and Jewish voters, an important voting bloc for Democrats. Among the areas of GOP focus was Florida, a key swing state.

Clinton said the decision to reach out isn't a policy shift.

"The Obama administration is continuing the approach of limited contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood that has existed on and off for about five or six years," Clinton said.

She said those contacts are predicated on a "commitment to nonviolence, respect for minority rights and the full inclusion of women in any democracy. You cannot leave out half the population and claim that you are committed to democracy."

"If there are elements within the organization that have taken a stand toward moderation and pragmatism," it might be in America's interest to engage them, Fidel said.

"We recognize that Egypt is a crucial ally of the United States and that this new coalition may be the only alternative to the oppressive former Mubarak regime," she said. "... We have to enter into any discussions with our eyes open."



Read more: Evolving U.S. ties with Brotherhood monitored - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt...#ixzz1R5axPSSJ