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Egypt
Egypt stock exchange has leapt higher after the ousting of Mohamed Morsi as the country’s president.
Stocks in Cairo rose by 7% on Thursday, their largest one-day percentage gain in over a year.
Traders are hoping that Egypt’s prospects will improve in the absence of Mohamed Morsi, even though the country’s battered economy remains in crisis.
Some analysts said a long-stalled loan from the IMF may now be possible, although others remained skeptical.
Egypt stock exchange has leapt higher after the ousting of Mohamed Morsi as the country’s president
“The technocrats will know how to deal with institutions – they will help the country financially because they have a clear agenda,” said Sebastien Henin, portfolio manager at The National Investor, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm.
“There will be a definitive change to the business environment for international and domestic investors,” he added.
However, for Dina Ahmad, a strategist at BNP Paribas, the initial optimism shouldn’t be overplayed.
“While essentially this takes Egypt back to square one and delays any chance of economic progress and an IMF deal even further, we think that ultimately it creates a window of opportunity for a more stable government to be put in place,” she said.
This window of opportunity brought about by the protests that saw Mohamed Morsi removed from office has, at least in part, been created by the Egypt’s dire economic performance over the past two years.
General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the head of Egypt’s army, has given a TV address, announcing that President Mohamed Morsi is no longer in office.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said the constitution had been suspended and the chief justice of the constitutional court would take on Mohamed Morsi’s powers.
Flanked by religious and opposition leaders, General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said Mohamed Morsi had “failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people”.
Anti-Morsi protesters in Cairo gave a huge cheer in response to the speech.
The army’s move to depose the president follows four days of mass street demonstrations against Mohamed Morsi, and an ultimatum issued by the military which expired on Wednesday afternoon.
TV stations belonging to Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood went off air at the end of the speech.
Minutes later, a notice went up on Mohamed Morsi’s Facebook page denouncing the army move as a “military coup”.
The statement asked Egyptian citizens – both civilians and military – to “abide by the constitution and the law and not to respond to this coup”.
The ousted leader’s current whereabouts are unclear.
General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the head of Egypt’s army, has given a TV address, announcing that President Mohamed Morsi is no longer in office
General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said on state TV that the armed forces could not stay silent and blind to the call of the Egyptian masses.
He spoke of a new roadmap for the future, and said that the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, would be given the task of “running the country’s affairs during the transitional period until the election of a new president”.
After General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s address, both Pope Tawadros II – the head of the Coptic Church – and leading opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei made short televised speeches about the new roadmap for Egypt’s future which they had agreed with the army.
Mohammed ElBaradei said the roadmap aimed for national reconciliation and represented a fresh start to the January 2011 revolution.
“This roadmap has been drafted by honorable people who seek the interests, first and foremost, of the country,” added Pope Tawadros.
The army is currently involved in a show of force, fanning out across Cairo and taking control of the capital.
The tens of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters on the streets of Cairo are now celebrating, with fireworks lighting up the night sky and car drivers honking their horns in excitement.
But Mohamed Morsi supporters elsewhere in the city are reported to have shouted: “No to military rule.”
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Egypt’s army has moved into key sites in Cairo hours after its ultimatum passed for President Mohamed Morsi to resolve a political crisis.
Tens of thousands of pro- and anti-Morsi protesters have gathered in areas of the capital, as Egyptians await a televised statement.
Opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei and religious leaders will make this statement, the state news agency said.
Before the deadline passed, Mohamed Morsi repeated his refusal to step down.
His aides took to social media to describe the events as a military coup but there was no confirmation of this.
There are unconfirmed reports that Egyptian officials have placed an international travel ban on Mohamed Morsi and other senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The army is involved in a show of force, fanning out across Cairo and taking control of the capital.
He described seeing eight armored personnel carriers heading for Cairo University in Giza, where one of the main pro-Morsi demonstrations was being held. At least 16 people were killed and about 200 wounded at the university when gunmen opened fire on protesters on Tuesday night.
Another pro-Morsi protest was being held in Nasr City, where New York Times reporter Kareem Fahim tweeted that soldiers had fired into the air to disperse demonstrators.
Opponents of the president gathered in Tahrir Square in their tens of thousands. When the army’s 48-hour deadline passed, cheers echoed across the square.
Whether it is a military coup or not, on the streets of Cairo it certainly looks like one.
Egypt’s army has moved into key sites in Cairo hours after its ultimatum passed for President Mohamed Morsi to resolve a political crisis
Before the army’s ultimatum to President Mohamed Morsi expired at 16:30 local time, he posted a Facebook message calling for a roadmap involving an interim coalition government.
His whereabouts were not immediately clear but BBC Arabic confirmed that he was at the Cairo headquarters of the Republican Guard, a military site where he has stayed since the start of the protests.
One of Mohamed Morsi’s aides, Issam al-Haddad, wrote on his Facebook page that he was “fully aware” his words might be the “last lines I get to post on this page”, adding that what was happening was a “military coup”.
The army had earlier held meetings with political and religious leaders to discuss the crisis.
But the ruling Freedom and Justice party – the political arm of Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood – stayed away from the talks.
Mohamed Morsi’s opponents have accused him and the Muslim Brotherhood of pushing an Islamist agenda onto Egypt, and say that he should stand down.
In a defiant televised speech on Tuesday evening, Mohamed Morsi said he would give his life to defend constitutional legitimacy, and blamed the unrest on corruption and remnants of the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was reported to have met his top commanders on Wednesday – and a source close to the military told AFP news agency they had been discussing details of a post-Morsi roadmap.
Members of the Tamarod (Rebel) movement, which has mobilized millions of demonstrators onto the streets to demand Mohamed Morsi’s resignation, were also part of the meeting. So too were leading religious figures and Mohammed ElBaradei.
The president was put under further pressure by the resignation of six ministers from his government on Monday, including Foreign Minister Kamel Amr.
Mohamed Morsi became Egypt’s first Islamist president on 30 June 2012, after winning an election considered free and fair following the 2011 revolution that toppled Mubarak.
But dissent has been growing, with protesters angry at the lack of change in post-revolution Egypt and accusing the Brotherhood of trying to protect its own interests.
“This is a president threatening his own people. We don’t consider him the president of Egypt,” said Mohammed Abdelaziz, a leader of Tamarod.
However, Mohamed Morsi and the Brotherhood still have significant public support, and both sides have drawn huge numbers to rallies in recent days.
At least 39 people have now died since the protests began on Sunday.
The instability has also hit global oil prices, sending US light crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since September last year, amid concerns supply routes through the Suez Canal could be affected.
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Tamarud, the Egyptian opposition movement that has led nationwide protests against President Mohammed Morsi, has given him until Tuesday to resign.
A statement issued by Tamarud (Rebel) said President Mohamed Morsi would face a campaign of civil disobedience if he did not leave power and allow elections to be held.
Protesters across Egypt have accused Mohamed Morsi of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago
The group said it had collected more than 22 million signatures in support.
The crowds seen in Tahrir Square in the capital, Cairo, on Sunday were the biggest since the 2011 revolution.
In sporadic outbreaks of violence, at least one person was reported killed in an attack on the headquarters of Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, while four more died in the central province of Assiut.
Protesters across Egypt have accused the president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since being elected a year ago. Mohamed Morsi’s supporters have insisted he needs more time.
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At least one person has been killed and more than 20 injured in clashes outside Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral following the funerals of four Coptic Christians killed in religious violence.
Coptic mourners leaving Cairo’s main cathedral are said to have clashed with local residents.
Police fired tear gas to break up the violence.
The head of Egypt’s national ambulance service, Mohammed Sultan, said one person had died of birdshot wounds.
Mourners inside the church had earlier chanted slogans against Egypt’s Islamist President, Mohamed Morsi.
Witnesses told local TV stations that the violence started when a mob attacked mourners as they exited the cathedral, pelting them with rocks and petrol bombs.
At least one person has been killed and more than 20 injured in clashes outside Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral following the funerals of four Coptic Christians killed in religious violence
The Christians responded by throwing rocks back, the witnesses said, until police arrived and attempted to quell the unrest.
Egypt’s state news agency said the streets around St Mark’s Cathedral had seen “on-and-off” clashes between Christians and “unidentified persons”.
It was reported that a fire had started in a building adjacent to the Cathedral, but the blaze had since been extinguished.
Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Christian church, appealed for calm and the preservation of national unity.
Speaking on Sunday evening, he said he was in contact with government officials.
Egypt’s minority of Coptic Christians, who make up about 10% of the population, have accused the government of failing to protect them, following the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians have been seen numerous times since then, but this weekend’s violence was the worst seen in several months.
Police said five deaths – four Copts and one Muslim – occurred on Saturday in Khosous, about 10 miles north of Cairo, after inflammatory symbols were drawn on an Islamic institute, provoking an argument.
The dispute escalated into a gun battle between Christian and Muslim residents, while Christian-owned shops were also attacked.
Violence there flared again on Sunday, with police reporting more sectarian fighting on the streets and clashes between police and youths.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s top judicial body has urged the chief prosecutor appointed by Mohamed Morsi to step down.
Talaat Abdullah, who was named to the post by President Mohamed Morsi in December, has provoked anger by demanding the arrest of several high-profile political activists.
In a statement on Sunday, Egypt’s Supreme Judiciary Council urged Talaat Abdullah to return to his previous job as a judge.
Last week a court annulled the presidential decree that appointed him, but Talaat Abdullah continued to carry out his duties, including issuing arrest warrants for activists accused of insulting President Mohamed Morsi and Islam.
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Egypt’s former President Hosni Mubarak will face retrial on April 13, the country’s appeal court has decided.
Hosni Mubarak faces charges of conspiring to kill protesters during the 2011 revolt that forced him from power, and corruption.
A retrial was ordered in January after a court accepted his appeal against the life sentence he had been serving since his conviction last June.
Hosni Mubarak, 84, is currently in a military hospital. About 850 people were killed in the 2011 crackdown.
Hosni Mubarak will face retrial on April 13
French, British, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals are among 19 tourists reportedly killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor.
The balloon was flying at 1,000 ft (300 m) when it caught fire and exploded, plunging onto fields west of Luxor, officials said.
One witness said people were jumping out of the balloon, “from about the height of a seven-storey building”.
Two people, including the balloon’s pilot, reportedly survived the crash.
Luxor lies on the banks of the River Nile and is home to some of Egypt’s most famous pharaonic-era ruins.
The crash happened on one of the many dawn hot air balloon flights that give tourists an aerial view of Luxor’s famous sites, such as Karnak temple and the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
It was understood that a gas cylinder exploded on board the balloon, bringing it down in an agricultural area just outside Luxor.
Cherry Tohamy’s balloon was landing when she heard an explosion and saw flames from a balloon above.
“Our pilot told us that the balloon had hit a high pressure electrical cable and a cylinder on board exploded,” said Cherry Tohamy, an Egyptian living in Kuwait who was on holiday in Luxor.
“People were jumping out of the balloon from about the height of a seven-storey building.”
She said ambulances were at the scene within 15 minutes.
French, British, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals are among 19 tourists reportedly killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor
Another witness, US photographer Christopher Michel said his balloon was just about to land when he “heard an explosion and saw smoke”.
NBC News quoted a Luxor health official as saying that the victims include nine from Hong Kong, four from Japan, two from the United Kingdom and two from France, with two yet to be identified.
The British foreign office said it was making urgent inquiries with its colleagues in Egypt to confirm reports of British casualties.
A spokesman from the Hong Kong government confirmed that nine Hong Kong residents were in the crash balloon and a team of immigration officers was being sent to Egypt.
Hot air balloon crashes have happened in Luxor before. Two British women were among 16 injured when their balloon came down in April 2009.
Luxor, like many other parts of Egypt, has seen a sharp downturn in visitor numbers since the uprising in early 2011 that forced long-time President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
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Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has called parliamentary elections, starting on April 27 and end in June.
A presidential decree said voting would take place in four regional stages, due to a shortage of election supervisors.
Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement hope the election will put an end to increasingly vocal opposition and street protests, analysts say.
The Islamist-dominated parliament was dissolved last June after judges ruled election laws were unconstitutional.
In the last elections, in January 2012, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party won roughly 40% of the vote.
Egypt is deeply divided between Mohamed Morsi’s Islamist supporters and a liberal-led opposition, and has been wracked by unrest, insecurity and an economic crisis.
Tensions have intensified since an Islamist-backed constitution – criticized for failing to protect key rights – was adopted in December.
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has called parliamentary elections, starting on April 27 and end in June
Thursday’s decree states voting will take place in:
- Cairo and four other provinces on April 27-28, with a run-off scheduled for May 4-5
- Giza, Alexandria and six other provinces on May 15-16, with a run-off scheduled for May 22-23
- Eight provinces on June 2-3, with a run-off scheduled for June 9-10
- Six provinces on June 19-20, with a run-off on June 26-27
The new People’s Assembly will be invited to convene on July 6, the decree said.
Anti-Mohamed Morsi protesters have clashed with police outside the presidential palace in Cairo, after a week of violence in which more than 60 people were killed.
Riot police used tear gas and water cannon to try to drive back the crowds throwing rocks and petrol bombs.
Thousands also rallied in Port Said – one year after football riots in the city, which killed 74 people.
The protesters accuse Islamist President Mohamed Morsi of betraying the 2011 uprising – a claim he denies.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Mohamed Morsi warned that security forces would “act with utmost decisiveness” to protect state institutions and those groups behind the violence would be held “politically accountable”.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters say the demonstrators are trying to used the power of the street to bring down the country’s first democratically elected president.
On Friday, thousands of people chanted “Leave, leave, Morsi!” as they gathered outside the presidential palace – in the north of the capital.
Some of the demonstrators then began throwing Molotov cocktails over the palace walls and lighting fires in the streets.
Anti-Mohamed Morsi protesters have clashed with police outside the presidential palace in Cairo, after a week of violence in which more than 60 people were killed
Skirmishes were reported close to the capital’s Tahrir Square, where thousands more marched, urging Mohamed Morsi to leave.
A demonstration was also held in Port Said, at the northern end of the Suez Canal.
The city has seen the worst of the violence over the past week, in clashes sparked by death sentences imposed on 21 local people in connection with the football riots.
On Thursday, leaders of some of the main political factions condemned the violence. But youth groups later still called for more street protests.
In a separate development, human rights officials have expressed alarm over a rise in sexual violence against women in Cairo.
According to the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 25 women have been sexually assaulted, mainly in Tahrir Square, since the protests erupted.
Michelle Bachelet, of the UN’s Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, said she was “deeply disturbed by the gravity of [the] recent attacks”.
Sexual assaults against women around Tahrir Square was widely reported during the uprising there which eventually unseated Hosni Mubarak.
The current unrest began on January 24 in Cairo on the eve of the second anniversary of the revolution and has spread to several cities.
Protesters accuse President Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, of imposing a new form of authoritarianism and betraying the values of their uprising two years ago.
On Tuesday, Egyptian army chief General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi warned that the political crisis could lead to the collapse of the state.
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A court in Egypt has ordered a retrial for ex-President Hosni Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence over the deaths of protesters.
Hosni Mubarak, 84, was overthrown last year after mass street protests in the capital Cairo and other cities, and jailed in June.
Since he was jailed, there have been frequent reports about his ill-health.
Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, surviving at least six assassination attempts, before last year’s revolt.
Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected president in June.
A court in Egypt has ordered a retrial for ex-President Hosni Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence over the deaths of protesters
Egypt’s vice-president Mahmoud Mekki has announced his resignation on the day the country completed its voting in a controversial referendum on a draft constitution.
Mahmoud Mekki, a former judge who was appointed vice-president in August, said the “nature of politics” did not suit his professional background.
Polls have now closed in the second leg of the referendum, which is widely expected to approve the draft.
However, opponents say this will not end the country’s unrest.
They say the constitution favors Islamists and betrays the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year.
President Mohamed Morsi and his supporters say the document will secure democracy.
Late on Saturday, state television announced that the central bank governor, Farouq al-Uqdah, had also resigned from his post. However, a cabinet official later denied the report.
Mahmoud Mekki announced his resignation just hours before the end of voting in the second round of the referendum.
He said, in a statement read on television: “I realized a while ago that the nature of politics does not suit my professional background as a judge.”
Mahmoud Mekki, 58, said he had tried to resign on 7 November but that circumstances had forced him to remain.
The Israeli conflict in Gaza and President Mohamed Morsi’s controversial decree on November 22 granting himself sweeping new powers delayed his decision.
Mahmoud Mekki’s resignation statement indicated he had no prior knowledge of the decree, which stripped the judiciary of powers to question the president’s decisions.
He appeared to be giving the impression that he was unhappy with not being consulted on key decisions.
If, as expected, the draft constitution is passed, there may have been no role for Mahmoud Mekki as the document does not require the president to appoint a vice-president.
Egypt’s vice-president Mahmoud Mekki has announced his resignation on the day the country completed its voting in a controversial referendum on a draft constitution
Seven of Mohamed Morsi’s leading advisers have resigned over the past month, many indicating they had not been consulted over the president’s moves.
After an outcry, the president revoked much of the November 22 decree, but he refused to back down on the draft constitution.
The text was rushed through by a constituent assembly dominated by Islamists and boycotted by liberal and left-wing members, and facing a threat of dissolution by the country’s top court.
Egypt has seen mass demonstrations on both sides ever since.
However, voting in the second stage of the referendum appears to have gone relatively smoothly.
Some 250,000 security personnel were deployed nationwide to keep order.
Polling stations had been scheduled to close at 19:00 but remained open until 23:00. Voting was also extended in the first leg.
Ballots were cast in the 17 provinces that did not vote in the first round on 15 December.
Unofficial results are expected to come in over the next few hours.
Turnout was reported to be just above 30% in the first round, with unofficial counts suggesting some 56% of those who cast ballots voted in favor of the draft.
Official results are not expected until Monday, after appeals are heard. If the constitution passes, parliamentary elections must take place within three months.
Analysts suggest the document will be passed.
Egyptians casting votes in favor of the charter said they were voting for stability.
In the town of Fayoum, “yes” voter Hanaa Zaki told the Associated Press news agency: “I have a son who hasn’t got paid for the past six months. We have been in this crisis for so long and we are fed up.”
Opponents of the draft say it fails to protect the freedoms and human rights they sought in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Some have also complained about the role given to Islamic clerics and what they say is a lack of a clear commitment to equality between men and women.
“I’m voting <<no>> because Egypt can’t be ruled by one faction,” Karim Nahas, a 35-year-old stock market broker voting early on Saturday in Giza, told Reuters news agency.
Opposition activists say there will be more unrest whatever the outcome.
One voter in Ikhsas village, Marianna Abdel-Messieh, agreed.
“Whether this constitution passes or not, there will be trouble,” she told AP.
“God have mercy on us.”
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Egypt begins voting in a second stage of a constitutional referendum that has sparked weeks of unrest in the country’s main cities.
Opponents of President Mohamed Morsi have held protests against the draft, saying it favors the Islamists now in power and betrays the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year.
Mohamed Morsi’s supporters say the constitution will secure democracy.
Some 250,000 security personnel have been deployed nationwide to try to keep order during the referendum.
Tension over the document has helped to fuel weeks of violence, including clashes in Alexandria on Friday.
Turnout was reported to be just above 30% in the first round, with unofficial counts suggesting some 56% of those who cast ballots voted in favor of the draft.
Official results are not expected until Monday, after appeals are heard. If the constitution passes, parliamentary elections must take place within three months.
Ballots are being cast in the 17 provinces which did not vote in a first round on December 15.
The areas are seen as more conservative and sympathetic to Mohamed Morsi’s Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Analysts suggest this will favor a “Yes” vote.
“I’m voting <<No>> because Egypt can’t be ruled by one faction,” Karim Nahas, a 35-year-old stock market broker voting early on Saturday in Giza, told Reuters news agency.
Egyptians casting votes in favor of the charter said they were voting for stability.
Opponents of the draft say it fails to protect the freedoms and human rights that they sought in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
Human Rights Watch says the draft provides for basic protections against arbitrary detention and torture, but fails to end military trials of civilians or to protect freedom of expression and religion.
Ahead of the second round, opposition politicians said they thought further violence was likely.
“I see more unrest,” said Ahmed Said, head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party and a member of the opposition coalition.
He said there had been “serious violations” on the first day of voting and that anger towards the president was growing.
Opposition figurehead Mohammed ElBaradei has urged people to vote against the charter.
“We know that if this constitution is passed, there will be no stability,” he said late on Thursday.
Egypt’s latest crisis began on November 22, when Mohamed Morsi issued a decree granting himself broad powers.
The decree stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions.
After an outcry, the president revoked much of the decree, but he refused to back down on the draft constitution.
The text was rushed through by a constituent assembly dominated by Islamists and boycotted by liberal and left-wing members, as it faced a threat of dissolution by the country’s top court.
Egypt has seen mass demonstrations on both sides ever since.
On Friday, Islamists clashed with secular rivals in Alexandria, hurling stones at each other outside a mosque.
Police formed lines and fired tear gas to keep the two groups apart.
The state news agency Mena quoted the health ministry as saying that 32 people had been injured.
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President Mohamed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect Egypt institutions in the run-up to a controversial referendum on a new constitution.
The army has also been given the power of arrest.
Mohamed Morsi has tried to calm public anger by annulling a decree giving him huge powers, but rejected a call to scrap the 15 December constitutional vote.
Opposition leaders called for protests on Tuesday against the referendum.
The opposition was “not aiming at toppling the president” but wanted a better constitution, said former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa.
Islamist groups have said they will hold counter demonstrations, raising fears of further bloody clashes on the streets of the Egyptian capital.
In another apparent concession, the president suspended a big tax increase on the sale of a variety of goods including soft drinks, cigarettes and beer.
The decision was carried in a statement that appeared on Mohamed Morsi’s Facebook page in the early hours of Monday, state-owned al-Ahram newspaper reported.
As tension increased before Saturday’s referendum, Mohamed Morsi ordered the military to maintain security “up to the announcement of the results from the referendum”, AFP news agency reports.
The step will raise fears that Egypt is moving back towards military rule.
Under the new presidential decree, the military is asked to co-ordinate with the police on maintaining security and is also entitled to arrest civilians.
The police have been seen as weakened since the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak and failed to intervene when anti-Muslim Brotherhood protesters ransacked the Islamist movement’s Cairo headquarters last week, correspondents say.
An increased military presence was visible on Monday close to the presidential palace, which has been the focus of opposition demonstrations. The army has sealed off the area with concrete blocks.
It is not yet clear whether the opposition will boycott Saturday’s referendum. However, a group of senior judges announced on Monday that they would be prepared to oversee the vote, on certain conditions.
Votes in Egypt are traditionally supervised by the judiciary but the November 22nd presidential decree led thousands of judges to go on strike.
Mohamed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect Egypt institutions in the run-up to a controversial referendum on a new constitution
Now, with the decree rescinded, the State Council Judges’ Club has agreed to oversee the vote as long as pro-Morsi supporters call a halt to a sit-in outside Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court.
The court suspended work on 2 December, citing “psychological pressure” from Islamists who had prevented a meeting on a draft of the new constitution. The protesters had wanted to block a ruling on the legality of the document.
The opposition argues that the constitution was drafted by an assembly dominated by Mohammed Morsi’s Islamist allies.
In a statement after talks on Sunday, the opposition National Salvation Front said it would not recognize the draft constitution “because it does not represent the Egyptian people”.
“We reject the referendum which will certainly lead to more division and sedition,” spokesman Sameh Ashour said.
On Sunday, hundreds of opposition protesters protested against the referendum outside the presidential palace.
They chanted anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans and held up banners reading slogans such as “Morsi, hold back your thugs” and “The people demand the fall of the regime”.
But Mohamed Soudan, foreign relations secretary of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, said Mohamed Morsi was constitutionally bound to go ahead with the vote because the date had been announced by the constituent assembly.
The president says he is trying to safeguard the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year, but his critics accuse him of acting like a dictator.
Mohamed Morsi’s decree of 22 November stripped the judiciary of any right to challenge his decisions and triggered violent protests.
Although the decree has been annulled, some decisions taken under it still stand.
The general prosecutor, who was dismissed, will not be reinstated, and the retrial of former regime officials will go ahead.
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At least 47 children aged four to six years old have been killed after their school bus was hit by a train near Manfalut, central Egypt, officials said.
The bus was carrying about 60 children from a nursery school when it was hit by a train near Manfalut, 350 km (230 miles) south of Cairo.
The Egyptian transport minister has resigned, state media report.
Reports from witnesses say the barriers of the crossing were opened when the bus approached.
“The deaths have now reached 47. There are 13 children injured,” Assiut state governor Yehya Keshk told state television.
Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed, the state news agency reported.
“They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it,” doctor Mohamed Samir told the Reuters news agency, citing witness accounts.
At least 47 children aged four to six years old have been killed after their school bus was hit by a train near Manfalut, central Egypt
The head of the state railway authority has also resigned.
Distraught families are searching for the remains of their loved ones along the tracks, the Associated Press reports.
Egypt’s roads and railways have a poor safety record. An estimated 8,000 people die in car accidents each year in the country.
A child-trafficking ring that sold 300 babies over three years has been broken up in Cairo, Egyptian police say.
Two nurses and a doctor at a Cairo hospital are among five people arrested and police say they are still searching for the hospital manager.
The babies were reportedly sold to childless couples after Caesarean sections were performed on women carrying unwanted children.
Babies were said to have been sold for up to 3,500 Egyptian pounds ($570).
According to Egyptian media reports, women who had come forward too late for an abortion were offered a Caesarean section and their babies were then sold on, apparently at a profit.
Abortions are lawful in Egypt if the mother’s health is at risk.
Only a limited form of adoption is allowed, to the extent that children cannot take the name of their adoptive families.
Trade in such a black market in babies would have enabled couples to avoid Egypt’s legal restrictions.
Although the details of the case provided by police are sketchy, it appears they have disrupted an extensive child-trafficking ring.
At least 13 Egyptian policemen have been killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked a checkpoint on the Egyptian-Israeli border, officials say.
Israel said the attackers, who were in two vehicles, then tried to smash their way across the border.
At least 13 Egyptian policemen have been killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked a checkpoint on the Egyptian-Israeli border
The Israeli military said one vehicle was destroyed from the air, while the other blew up at the crossing.
It is not clear who carried out the border raid. Egyptian state television blamed Islamist militants.
Egypt’s new government is due to be officially announced and sworn in by President Mohammed Mursi, who took office last month.
Media reports suggest Prime Minister-designate Hisham Qandil’s government will be mostly technocrats, with at least two ministers from the previous government and a few Islamists.
Former military ruler Mohammed Hussein Tantawi is set to be defence minister.
Hisham Qandil has said “competence” would be the sole criterion for appointments.
Speaking last week, he said he wanted “all political forces and the people of Egypt to support us in this difficult mission”, highlighting economic and social challenges.
President Mohammed Mursi has been criticized for the time he has taken to name a prime minister and form a government since taking office in June.
His nomination of Hisham Qandil, the outgoing water resources minister, surprised many observers, who had been expecting a well-known figure.
Mohammed Mursi’s nomination of Hisham Qandil as Egypt’s prime minister, the outgoing water resources minister, surprised many observers, who had been expecting a well-known figure
On Wednesday, state media reported that the prime minister-designate had told Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamal Amr and Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Said that they would keep their posts.
Maj-Gen Ahmed Jamal al-Din, the current assistant interior minister for security, was meanwhile asked to be interior minister, it added.
“Given the circumstances that have been taking place in the country the coming period will need us all – the government and the people – to work together to maintain stability,” the general told reporters in Cairo.
Officials also said Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), would be defence minister, in line with an interim constitutional declaration issued after June’s presidential election run-off.
The SCAF assumed presidential powers after Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down as president in February 2011. Its declaration and decision to dissolve parliament only days before caused outrage and overshadowed the nominal transfer of power to President Mohammed Mursi on 30 June.
Of the 18 ministers named so far by state media, two are members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which Mohammed Mursi used to lead.
Mustafa Musaad, who was responsible for educational policies during the president’s election campaign, will become education minister, while Tariq Wafiq, head of the FJP’s housing committee, will be housing minister.
Another key post, the minister of religious endowments (Awqaf), went Osama al-Abd, the president of al-Azhar University. There had been speculation that an ultraconservative Salafist cleric, Mohammed Yusri Ibrahim, would be appointed.
Members of Egypt’s Olympic team have been given fake Nike gear, Yomna Khallaf, a synchronized swimmer, has alleged.
Yomna Khallaf said her workout bags had a big Nike logo in the front but the zippers had an Adidas branding on them.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee (EOC) secretary general, Motaz Sonbol, said they were shocked to find that the gear was not “directly from Nike”.
Nike said it was “concerned” athletes may have received products that do not meet the company’s quality standards.
Members of Egypt's Olympic team have been given fake Nike gear, Yomna Khallaf, a synchronized swimmer, has alleged
A Nike spokesman said the company was recently made aware that the EOC chose a sports gear vendor who allegedly supplied counterfeit footwear and apparel bearing the Nike trademarks.
The company said it was now in discussions with the EOC to see if a solution could be reached.
But the committee’s chairman, General Mahmoud Ahmed Ali, defended the decision to go for the “counterfeit” gear because of his country’s tight finances, AP reports.
“We signed with a Chinese distributor in light of Egypt’s economic situation,” he said.
Yomna Khallaf tweeted that she had to spend more than $300 of her own money to buy satisfactory gear.
The incident has caused a major controversy on social media, with some users describing it as a disgrace.
Egypt is being represented by 112 Olympians at London 2012.
Supreme Constitutional Court in Egypt, which dissolved the parliament last month, is due to discuss how to respond to President Mohammed Mursi’s order to reconvene it.
The speaker of the dissolved house has called for it to meet on Tuesday.
Military and judicial authorities have held emergency talks, but have not announced any action so far.
Mohammed Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood won most seats, said the chamber should reconvene until a new election is held.
Military police are keeping the area around the parliament building sealed.
Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court is due to discuss how to respond to President Mohammed Mursi's order to reconvene parliament dissolution
It is not clear when or how MPs are expected to reconvene.
MPs would first have to get past a line of police and military guards who have been preventing them from entering the parliament building – or they could meet elsewhere.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) – which has assumed legislative power – met in an emergency session shortly after the presidential decree was issued on Sunday.
It is due to hold another meeting.
The military had enforced a court order last month dissolving parliament because party members had contested seats reserved for independents.
The SCAF took over the reins of power last year, after the revolution that ended former President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.
The army move was initially welcomed by many of the anti-government protesters, but its presence became increasingly unpopular as critics accused its leaders of wanting to hold on to power.
Mohammed Mursi won the country’s first free presidential election last month, and army chiefs formally handed over power on 30 June.
But before his inauguration, the military had granted itself sweeping powers.
The commanders’ constitutional declaration stripped the president of any authority over the military, gave military chiefs legislative powers, and the power to veto the new constitution, which has yet to be drafted.
In his presidential decree, Mohammed Mursi said new parliamentary elections would be held 60 days after the constitution had been agreed by referendum, the decree said.
The Muslim Brotherhood has consistently opposed the decision to dissolve parliament.
But analysts say it is unclear whether the president has the authority to reinstate the assembly.
If there was a political truce in Egypt, it could soon be over – unless this is part of a more complicated deal, under which parliament would meet briefly then be dissolved by the president.
Bloomberg: Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi Reinstates Parliament
Egypt’s ruling military council has vowed to hand over power to an elected president by the end of June.
The promise comes as votes are counted after Sunday’s presidential run-off election, with both candidates claiming they are ahead in early results.
However, the council had earlier issued a declaration granting itself sweeping powers over legislation and the introduction of a new constitution.
Opposition groups condemned the declaration as a “coup”.
Lt Muhammad al-Assar from the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) told a news conference that a ceremony would be held in late June to hand over power to the new president, state media report.
However, the constitutional declaration issued by the SCAF late on Sunday effectively gives it legislative powers, control over the budget and over who writes the permanent constitution following mass street protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
It also strips the president of any authority over the army.
The SCAF have even guaranteed themselves jobs for life.
There have been no big protests so far – the military must be hoping that Egyptians are simply too tired of politics to protest, and are willing to go for stability whatever the cost, our correspondent says.
But the army’s declaration was widely condemned in opposition circles.
Prominent political figure Mohamed El Baradei has described the document as a “grave setback for democracy and revolution”.
Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in the first round of voting and was the favored candidate of many in the protest movement, said the declaration was a “seizure of the future of Egypt”.
“We will not accept domination by any party,” Hamdeen Sabahi said.
Parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni, of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the declaration was “null and void”.
The Brotherhood had earlier urged Egyptians to “protect their revolution” after the SCAF dissolved parliament – dominated by the Brotherhood – on Saturday.
Two days earlier, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that last year’s legislative polls were unconstitutional because party members were allowed to contest seats in the lower house reserved for independents.
On Monday morning, soldiers prevented MPs from entering parliament.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi ran in Sunday’s poll against Ahmed Shafiq, who served as prime minister under former President Hosni Mubarak.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Mursi ran in Sunday's poll against Ahmed Shafiq, who served as prime minister under former President Hosni Mubarak
The Brotherhood said Mohammed Mursi was holding a 52%-48% lead over Ahmed Shafiq with almost all the vote counted after Sunday’s second-round run-off election.
Speaking at his party headquarters, Mohammed Mursi pledged to be a president for all Egyptians, adding that he would not “seek revenge or settle scores”.
Hundreds of Mohammed Mursi’s supporters gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to celebrate his declaration of victory.
But Ahmed Shafiq’s campaign said it rejected “completely” Mohammed Mursi’s victory claim, and that figures it had obtained showed Shafiq in the lead.
Official results from the Higher Presidential Election Commission (HPEC) will be announced on Thursday, state TV reported.
Correspondents say that there was less enthusiasm in the run-off election than there was for previous rounds of voting, and some called for a boycott or spoiled ballots.
Ahmed Shafiq came second to Mohammed Mursi in last month’s first round, in which turnout among the 52 million eligible voters was only 46%.
Ahmed Shafiq
• Aged 70
• Veteran fighter pilot and former air force commander
• Appointed Egypt’s first aviation minister, earning reputation for competence and efficiency
• Promoted to PM during February 2011 protests
• Associated with former regime, though denies being backed by ruling military council
• Campaigned on a promise to restore security
Mohammed Mursi
• Aged 60
• US-educated engineering professor
• Head of Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)
• Served as independent MP 2000-05
• Quietly spoken, viewed by some as lacking charisma
• Has promised “stability, security, justice and prosperity” under an Islamic banner
Egyptians are starting to vote in their first free presidential election, 15 months after ousting Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring uprising.
Fifty million people are eligible to vote, and queues are forming at some polling stations.
The military council which assumed presidential power in February 2011 has promised a fair vote and civilian rule.
The election pits Islamists against secularists, and revolutionaries against Mubarak-era ministers.
The frontrunners are:
• Ahmed Shafiq, a former commander of the air force and briefly prime minister during February 2011 protests
• Amr Moussa, who has served as foreign minister and head of the Arab League
• Mohammed Mursi, who heads Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party
• Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent Islamist candidate.
Egyptians are starting to vote in their first free presidential election, 15 months after ousting Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring uprising
Until a new constitution is approved it is unclear what powers the president will have, prompting fears of friction with the military.
Voting began promptly at 08:00 local time, with queues observed at many Cairo polling stations growing longer by the minute.
“It’s a very big day,” said one woman. “This is a real great moment for the Egyptians to change.”
Another, when asked how long she had been waiting to vote, replied, with a laugh: “30 years.”
One man said it was most important for the new president to have his own programme.
“Actually he has to be in the revolution, or he has to be a strong part in the revolution. This is something which is not negotiable,” he said.
Mohammed Mursi was originally the Muslim Brotherhood’s reserve candidate, but he was thrust into the limelight after its first choice, Khairat al-Shater, was disqualified by the Higher Presidential Electoral Commission (HPEC) over an unresolved conviction.
The Brotherhood have nevertheless likened Mohammed Mursi, a US-educated engineer and MP, to an underrated football substitute.
“In any match there is the reserve who plays in the last 10 minutes, scores the goal and wins the match. Mursi is our reserve player,” said cleric Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud while addressing a crowd of Brotherhood supporters on Sunday.
A run-off vote is scheduled for 16 and 17 June if there is no outright winner.
There is also a potential clash waiting to happen with the military, which seems determined to retain its position as the power behind the president’s chair.
And the electorate does not know what powers the new president will have to do his job, as they are still waiting for them to be spelled out in a new constitution.
The election is being hailed as a landmark for Egyptians, who have the opportunity to choose their leader for the first time in the country’s 5,000-year recorded history.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), worried about potential post-election unrest, has sought to reassure Egyptians that it will be the voters themselves who decide who will be the next president.
“It is important that we all accept the election results, which will reflect the free choice of the Egyptian people, bearing in mind that Egypt’s democratic process is taking its first step and we all must contribute to its success,” it said in a statement on Monday.
The 15 months since Hosni Mubarak was forced from power has been turbulent, with continued violent protests and a deteriorating economy.
Foreign direct investment has reversed from $6.4 billion flowing into the country in 2010 to $500 million leaving it last year.
Tourism, a major revenue generator for the country, has also dropped by a third.
The new president will also have to reform the police to deal with the rash of crime that followed the uprising.
As many as a third of voters are reported to be undecided about which candidate to choose.
The Arab Spring began in Tunisia last year when weeks of protests forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power, inspiring pro-democracy activists across the Arab world.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in power for three decades, resigned on 11 February 2011 after 18 days of protests in Cairo and other cities.
Hosni Mubarak is on trial for his alleged role in the deaths of protesters, and a verdict in the case is due on 2 June.
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Ten candidates from the Egyptian presidential poll, including former spy chief Omar Suleiman and the Muslim Brotherhood’s Khairat al-Shater, have been barred by election officials.
Ultra orthodox Salafi Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail has also been banned.
No reason was given by officials, who said the banned candidates had 48 hours to appeal. Thirteen candidates remain.
Elections are due to be held in May, more than a year after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown by popular protests.
The decision by Omar Suleiman to stand for the presidency sparked major protests in Cairo on Friday
Egypt is still governed by a military council, although parliamentary elections have taken place in the meantime. The Brotherhood-backed Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) became the largest party in parliament.
The decision by Omar Suleiman to stand for the presidency sparked major protests in Cairo on Friday.
The news that he and nine other candidates were being excluded was announced by Farouk Sultan, the head of the Supreme Presidential Election Commission. Officials said the 10 did not meet the conditions for candidacy, but no further explanation was given.
Two people have been shot dead by police and more than 400 injured in protests across Egypt sparked by the deaths of 74 people after a football match.
The two killed were shot by police trying to disperse angry crowds in the city of Suez, medical officials said.
In the capital Cairo, thousands of protesters remained on the streets following a day of clashes with police.
Thousands marched to the interior ministry, where security forces fired tear gas to keep them back.
Earlier, the Egyptian prime minister announced the sackings of several senior officials.
Funerals of some of the 74 victims took place in Port Said, where the football match had taken place on Wednesday.
The deaths came when fans invaded the pitch after a fixture between top Cairo club al-Ahly and the Port Said side al-Masry.
As night fell in Cairo, several thousand demonstrators remained in the streets around the interior ministry, witnesses said.
Two people have been shot dead by police and more than 400 injured in protests across Egypt sparked by the deaths of 74 people after a football match
In Suez, health official Mohammed Lasheen said two people had been shot dead early on Friday.
A witness quoted by Reuters said: “Protesters are trying to break into the Suez police station and police are now firing live ammunition.”
Throughout Thursday, al-Ahly supporters gathered outside the club’s stadium in Cairo. A series of protest marches moved towards Tahrir Square, and then on to the ministry of interior.
Some chanted slogans against Egypt’s military rulers, while others threw stones.
“Our army must choose between the military council and the revolutionaries,” they chanted.
Police fired tear gas to keep the thousands of protesters away from the ministry, which is protected by concrete barricades.
Motorcycles ferried the injured from the scene as ambulances were often unable to get through.
At one point, ambulances intervened to rescue riot police whose vehicle mistakenly turned into a street full of protesters, Reuters reported.
Egyptian state news agency Mena quoted a health ministry official as saying 388 protesters were injured. Most of them were suffering from tear gas inhalation as well as bruises and broken bones from rocks.
A section of Al-Ahly supporters known as the “ultras” played a prominent role in last year’s street protests which led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.
The ultras believe they were targeted for their support for the revolution over the past year.
They accuse the police of deliberately allowing al-Masry fans to attack them.
“It’s like war, you can’t believe it. What happened yesterday [Wednesday] was war, it’s not football. To kill without any feeling… is not normal,” said former al-Ahly player Hani Seddik.
There were also protests in Port Said, Associated Press news agency reported.
Earlier on Thursday, parliament met in emergency session, beginning with a minute’s silence.
Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri told MPs the head of Egypt’s football association had been sacked and the board dissolved, with its members referred to prosecutors for questioning.
Port Said’s director of security and the head of investigations were suspended and are now in custody, Kamal al-Ganzouri said.
The government has come under renewed attack over its handling, both of the football game, and of the way it is handling the transition to democracy, our correspondent says.
The president of al-Ahly, Hamid Hamdy, said his club would not take part in league games.
“I hope that the world understands the position of al-Ahly club, that we are going through a very difficult time as a result of all of those martyrs that we lost yesterday,” he told a news conference.
“People should feel that there is a tragedy and a disaster which has happened in Egyptian sports, and for al-Ahly.”
Police in Egypt have been keeping a much lower profile since last year’s popular protests.
The Muslim Brotherhood – which has emerged as Egypt’s biggest party in recent elections – blamed ex-President Mubarak’s supporters for the violence.
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Two people have been killed and more than 670 injured after protesters clashed yesterday with security forces in Cairo and Alexandria.
The latest clashes came as police moved to prevent a long-term sit-in following a huge demonstration in Cairo against the military leadership on Friday.
It was reported that some protesters lobbed rocks and a police vehicle was set on fire.
The new violences come just over a week before parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin.
Two people have been killed and more than 670 injured after protesters clashed yesterday with security forces in Cairo and Alexandria
Protesters – mostly Islamists and young activists – have been holding demonstrations against a draft constitution that they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected.
Many Egyptians are frustrated at what they see as a reluctance by the ruling military council – who took power after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in February – to carry out meaningful reforms.
Saturday’s violence in Cairo began when police moved to dismantle tents erected by demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square who had camped out for the night.
The move to clear the square prompted thousands of protesters to return, and clashes erupted. Police fired rubber bullets as cars were set on fire, witnesses said.
The numbers of protesters swelled, reportedly after a call went out on social media for people to join the demonstration following the police assault.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called on the protesters to clear the square.
“What is happening in Tahrir is very dangerous and threatens the course of the nation and the revolution,” a statement from PM cabinet said.
There were also demonstrations in Alexandria and Suez.
The state-run Mena news agency says more than 670 people were injured.
One of those wounded in Cairo later died in hospital, while a protester was killed in Alexandria during violent confrontations outside the offices of the interior ministry.
AFP quoted a security official as saying a number of arrests were made.
The interior ministry says a number of policemen were among the wounded.
Friday’s demonstration, which saw tens of thousands fill Tahrir Square, was one of the largest for months.
Parliamentary elections are due to begin on 28 November and take three months.
Earlier this month, Egypt’s military rulers produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution.
Under those guidelines, the military would be exempted from civilian overnight, as would its budget.
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Egypt has declared state of alert after three people die and more than a thousand were injured as crowds attacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo.
Israel has evacuated its ambassador in Egypt after crowds stormed the embassy in Cairo, plunging Egypt’s ruling army deeper into its worst diplomatic crisis since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt has declared state of alert after three people die and more than a thousand were injured as crowds attacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo
Egyptian PM Essam Sharaf is holding a crisis cabinet meeting and a state of alert has been declared as protesters remain on the streets following the violence on Friday, burning tyres and chanting slogans against the governing military council.
According to an Egyptian official, at least three people died and more than 1,000 were injured during street clashes with police and army troops after an angry mob attacked the Israeli embassy building.
Hamid Abaza, deputy health minister said that one of the three fatalities in the violence late on Friday was a man who died of a heart attack.
Hamid Abaza told AP on Saturday he doesn’t know the cause of the other two deaths. He said 1,093 people were injured in the clashes.
The attackers pelted the police and the military with rocks, prompting the troops to fire tear gas and shoot into the air. Only 38 of the injured remained in hospital.
Earlier, the protesters tore down a security wall outside the Israeli mission and stormed the embassy’s offices.
Police fired shots in the air and teargas to disperse the crowd.
About 500 protesters were remained near the embassy on Saturday early in the morning. But police gradually pushed them back and secured the area.
According to an Israeli official, the rampage marked a further deterioration of diplomatic ties between Israel and Egypt since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
Israel’s ambassador, Yitzhak Levanon, his family and most of the staff and their dependents, around 80 people were evacuated out of the country by military aircraft overnight, the official added. Only the deputy ambassador remains in Egypt.
“That the government of Egypt ultimately acted to rescue our people is noteworthy and we are thankful,” the Israeli official said.
“But what happened is a blow to the peaceful relations, and of course, a grave violation of accepted diplomatic behaviour between sovereign states.”
The rampage was the second major eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month during an Israeli operation against gunmen. That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy.
“This action shows the state of anger and frustration the young Egyptian revolutionaries feel against Israel especially after the recent Israeli attacks on the Egyptian borders that led to the killing of Egyptian soldiers,” said Nabil Abdel Fattah, Egyptian political analyst.
Israel is already embroiled in a diplomatic feud with Turkey, formerly one of its closest allies, over Israel’s armed assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in which nine people were killed.
Hamdeen Sabahy, the Egyptian presidential candidate called for the army to take a “serious stance matching the public anger” towards Israel but said violence sullied the image of Egypt’s uprising.
In August, a man climbed up a flagpole on the Israeli embassy and took down the flag, replacing it with the Egyptian flag.
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