“They are not seeking to have a religious country,” said Major General Mohamed Said Al-Assar, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in remarks quoted by Bloomberg News. “They have to have the same rights as all Egyptians.”

“Day by day, the Brotherhood are changing and are getting on a more moderate track,” he said. “They have the willingness to share in the political life … they are sharing in good ways.”

Al-Assar said the army remains committed to the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, but that Cairo will have to “adjust to the changes in the region” and resolve outstanding regional disputes including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.