An Israeli official has urged Western countries not to put pressure on the regime of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. “Israel understands the policies adopted by the Sisi regime at the internal level, specifically after the Muslim Brotherhood attempts to control Egypt,” said Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata during a lecture at Tel Aviv University. “In Israel, we understand Sisi’s domestic policies, but it is difficult to explain this in the West.” He added, “The West is attacking the Sisi regime, claiming that it is torturing its people, even though the number of women members of its government is greater than that in some Western governments.” In a different context, Hulata said that his country is not interested in a military solution to the crisis over the Iranian nuclear program, explaining that Israel is not trying to drag the United States into a military confrontation with Iran.

Hulta pointed out that if the original nuclear agreement reached in 2015 is resumed, this will be bad for Israel because the deal, according to him, gives legitimacy to the Iranian nuclear project. He also warned that Tehran could use Iranian money that the West might release to fund terrorist organizations.