Morsi supports Palestine, Syrian rebels

Mohammed Morsi also addressed international Arab issues in his inaugural address, after he was sworn in as Egypt's first freely elected president. He said Egypt respected would back the Palestinians and called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria. “I announce from here that Egypt, its people and presidential institution stand with the Palestinian people until they regain all their rights,” he said. “We support the Syrian people. We want the bloodshed to stop,” he added. He repeated that Egypt would respect its international treaties, in an allusion to its 1979 peace accord with Israel. “We carry a message of peace to the world, accompanied and preceded by a message of right and justice.” Morsi, who resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood after winning the election this month, had spoken out forcefully in support of Palestinians during his campaign. The Brotherhood is vehemently opposed to Syrian president Bashar al-Asad and supports the uprising against him. But as president, Morsi is not expected to radically change his country’s foreign policy, especially towards Israel, in which the military is expected to exercise its clout.