Israel Debates Affect of Egypt Shift

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's fall from power has left Israel in a state of panic, with no other reliable allies in the Middle Eastern region, and pushed the country’s top officials to confront a debate over the government's reluctance to pursue peace with its adversaries. Peace-advocating leaders like President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are requesting that Israel relinquish its occupation of the West Bank and pursue a peace agreement with Syria. The Israeli government's response to Mubarak's resignation, which concurred with their Jewish Sabbath, indicated caution and hesitancy, as an unidentified official was quoted on Israel radio saying, "We hope that the change will occur without violence," and that the 1979 peace treaty between the two nations would be preserved. Throughout the past 10 years, the treaty has been instrumental in aiding Israel during a period of violence in the region.