The ACLJ Position on Egypt: American Aid is for American Allies

There should be few principles of public policy more clear than the simple declaration that American foreign and military aid is reserved for American allies – countries and groups that advance our national interests.

In its dealings with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Obama Administration turned this principle on its head, not only actively funding American enemies but also waiving human rights conditions to do so. The foreign policy disaster that ensued is tough to overstate.

Let’s review just a few of the Muslim Brotherhood’s bad acts: They passed a Shariah-based constitution, violated the peace treaty with Israel, stood aside as both the American and Israeli embassies were overrun, allowed the Sinai to become a hotbed of terrorist activity (including permitting the first terrorist attacks against Israel from Egypt in a generation), impeded our investigation of the Benghazi attacks, and relentlessly and violently persecuted Egypt’s Christian community.

None of this misconduct should have surprised the Obama Administration. After all, part of the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood is “jihad is our way.” President Morsi is an anti-Semite who called Jews the “descendants of apes and pigs” and said that children should be “nursed” on “hatred” for Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood is allied with Hamas, gave al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, his start, and is now supporting jihadist terror in Syria.

Yet the Obama Administration gave them money anyway. And not just money – state-of-the-art weapons, including F-16 fighters and M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

Now, thanks to the popular revolution against the Obama Administration-backed Brotherhood, we have a chance to re-impose sanity in our foreign policy. Our position should be simple: No American aid until the new government demonstrates with deeds, not just words, that it is an American ally. Three steps are crucial:

First, the new government must uphold the peace treaty with Israel, including appropriately demilitarizing the Sinai, re-opening and protecting the Israeli embassy in Cairo, and fully complying with all material provisions of the Camp David Accords.

Second, the new government must cooperate with America in our war against jihadists, including providing assistance as needed in our investigation of the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attacks and taking necessary steps to prevent Egyptian territory from being used as a terrorist base.

Third, the new government must fully respect the human rights of its citizens, including the religious liberty of its Christian minority. American aid can never be used to oppress Christian citizens in the name of Islamic supremacy.

If the new Egyptian government can’t even meet these basic requirements, we should save American taxpayer money, stop subsidizing jihad, and leave Egypt to the consequences of its own decisions. American weapons are far too deadly to fall into the wrong hands, and it’s inexcusable to freely give them to enemies.

American aid is for American allies, proven American allies.