Hezbollah Probes Detente With Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Hezbollah leaders look to improve relations Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, or at least refrain from criticism, while emphasizing their shared interests, writes Nasser Chararah.
The dialogue between Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt never stopped. It continued — albeit secretly — given the sensitivities plaguing their relationship, due to their conflicting positions on sensitive and important issues. But so far, we can say with confidence that the secret dialogue between the two parties, marred by irregularities, has led to a clear outcome: the commitment of the parties not to criticize each other openly. Moreover, the two parties do not miss any suitable and calculated opportunities to show signs of good faith toward each other.
Over the past month, the Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon said in a Lebanese newspaper that his country's government wishes to improve its relationship with Hezbollah, describing its role as important and adding that Egypt must take it into consideration in order to restore its ties and role in the region. The former General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, had declared jihad alongside Hezbollah to counter the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006, expressing the readiness of the Muslim Brotherhood to send thousands of mujahideen to fight alongside the party.
Hezbollah was and still is responding similarly to signs of good faith from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. During the July War of 2006, Hezbollah turned a deaf ear to those who advised it that al-Manar satellite TV, which is run by the group, should broadcast songs dating back to the time of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Those who offered this advice justified their request by saying that such songs would have an impact on the Arab people and incite them to take to the streets of Arab capitals in support for Hezbollah's resistance. At the time, the party feared that taking this advice would anger the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which considers Nasser — who executed the Brotherhood’s leader Hassan al-Banna — to be its sworn enemy.
Since the rise of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood after Mubarak's overthrow, Hezbollah has been secretly trying to persuade Arab and Lebanese political forces allied to it that their conservative stance against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is not right. These powers are critical of the Brotherhood because it did not annul the Camp David Accords after its assumption of power. In addition, they accuse they group of arranging a deal with the Americans to ensure its rise to power.
