Muslim Brotherhood party chief says US warning to cut aid can risk Israeli peace deal

Cairo, Feb 17(ANI): A Muslim Brotherhood party leader has rejected the US' warning to cut aid to Egypt in the wake of the latter's crackdown on non-profit groups operating in the country, saying it could imperil the peace deal with Israel.

Freedom and Justice Party leader, Mohammed Morsi, said the annual U.S. aid is part of its commitment to Egypt's 1979 treaty with Israel and should not be at risk due to the ongoing probe over the non-profit groups.

"The U.S. is a principle part of this agreement and its guarantor. There is no room for talking about aid except in the framework of discussing the peace deal," Fox News quoted Morsi, as saying.

"Brandishing threats to stop this aid is out of place. Otherwise, the peace deal would be reconsidered or it could flounder," he added

His statement came in response to the US warning to cut monetary aid to Egypt, including 1.3 billion dollars in military assistance and 250 million dollars in economic assistance, after Egypt blamed the ongoing protests in the country on US groups.

Morsi's comments echo Egyptian officials' stance that the peace deal with Israel is not scared and can be amended.

A senior Egyptian minister, Faiza Aboul Naga, had earlier accused the American groups of using the foreign funds to incite pro-democracy protests against the country's military rulers, who took over after Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising.

Many Egyptian pro-democracy groups have also interpreted the raids on NGO's as part of a larger plan to neutralize rights groups who challenged Mubarak's regime and continue to challenge alleged human rights violations by the military rulers.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood said it supports the Egyptian government's view regarding the aid groups and rejects U.S. pressure to drop the cases against them. (ANI)