Netanyahu warns against radical Islam

JERUSALEM, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The uprising in Egypt could result in the country falling into the hands of radical Muslims, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned.

Speaking to a delegation of 400 European lawmakers and members of European Friends of Israel who visited the Knesset Monday, Netanyahu said radical Muslims may try to take advantage of the situation in Egypt, Haaretz reported Tuesday.

"Egyptians can choose a state with secular reforms. However there is also another possibility, that the Islamists will exploit the situation in order to gain governance over the country and lead it backwards," the Israeli daily quoted the prime minister as saying.

"The third possibility is that (Egypt) will go in the direction of Iran" and "oppress the country and threaten all those surrounding it," Netanyahu said.

"In a situation of chaos, an organized Islamist body can seize control of a country," he warned. "It happened in Iran. It happened in other instances."

Whatever the outcome, Israel seeks to maintain its 30-year-old peace treaty with Egypt and expects the international community to demand any future Egyptian leader maintain it, Netanyahu said.