Memorandum of Agreement Between the Governments of the United States of America and the State of Israel

With the election of Muhammad Morsi as Egypt’s President in June 2012, speculation soared about whether the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty would be cancelled or at least not enforced. Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood Party, greatly disliked Israel. Speculation ensued about whether the US might consider halting its multi-billion dollar economic and military assistant program if Morsi and his party reversed the treaty’s intent. In addition to a military and cultural annex to the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Treaty, Israel and the US signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The MOA stipulated a variety of actions that the US would be asked to take should the treaty fall into disuse. Israeli negotiators, who engaged a cooperative and pliable President Sadat in the 1970s, remained concerned that their relationship with Egypt rested primarily on Sadat’s goodwill and not on a people to people relationship, dependent always on the will and whim of the Egyptian leader. Sadat’s successor, Husni Mubarak adhered to the letter of Treaty. Morsi, it was feared, would do otherwise. Israel’s trepidations were not met at this time. The 1979 MOA was never tested; Morsi adhered to the Treaty, and was in fact was tossed from office in July 2013 by the Egyptian military who feared the directions he was taking Egypt. Sections 3-7 of the MOA are particularly relevant in terms of the US-Israeli military relationship and US actions should some breach in the treaty occur. According to American and Israeli diplomats, this MOA would become operationally active if the US decided it was necessary. (source)