Senior Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood official Ahmed al-Hamrawy on Monday resigned from the group and its Freedom and Justice Party in protest of the diplomatic letter new Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Atef Salem presented to President Shimon Peres this month as part of his credentials, according to Egypt Independent.
Al-Hamrawy described the letter, addressed from Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to Peres, as “national and religious treason,” and called it a waste of the blood of Egyptian and Palestinian “martyrs” spilled between 1948, a reference to Israel's rebirth, and present day.
Al-Hamrawy told Egypt Independent: “I handed in my resignation because of the letter that neither the [Brotherhood] nor the [FJP] rejected or disowned, which confirms the presence of secret ties and agreements between the Muslim Brotherhood and Israel that are conducted away from the people and Brotherhood youth, and I reject them, therefore I announced my withdrawal from the group.”
The letter sparked widespread outrage in Egypt as its phrasing and tone were deemed overly friendly.
