Saturday 30 April 2016

Egypt, Sinai Liberation Day: protests for the 2 islands sold to the Saudis, under Zionist permission

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According to “The Times of Israel”, the Zionist regime said it appreciate the transfer of the islands to Saudi Arabia. The defense minister of the colonial entity, Moshe Yaalon, reveals emerging coordination and strategic interaction between Jerusalem, Cairo and Riyadh.
File photo of Israel's armed forces chief Moshe Yaalon walking after a visit to the Kissufim crossing in Gaza strip
Israel has received insurance pledges from Saudi Arabia to the fact that the handover by Egypt of two islands in the Red Sea would not affect the passage of its ships.
Cairo announced last week its decision to reassign to Saudi Arabia the two small uninhabited islands of Tiran and Sanafir, located in the strategic Aqaba Gulf, which control the access to the Israeli port of Eilat through the Strait of Tiran.
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The Israelis had occupied the two islands in the ’67 war. They later returned them with the Camp David agreements, but with one condition: that the Egyptians whould not give the islands to other parts, without previous permission by Tel Aviv.
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The two Red Sea islands are included in an important part of the agreement signed in 1979, that promises safe passage to commercial and military Israeli ships through the Strait of Tiran, ensuring freedom of navigation for Israel in these crucial areas for the access to the Indian Ocean.
As part of the agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the islands go under Saudi control over 25 years, giving Ryad an active part to ensure that the conditions of the peace treaty with Israel are met.

Sinai Liberation Day
(Excerpts from Ahram) ~ Protests against the recently declared Egyptian-Saudi island agreement took place on Monday before being promptly dispersed by police in Cairo amid heavy security presence, with rallies supporting the deal and celebrating Sinai Liberation Day allowed to take place.
Security forces had tightened their presence in central Cairo ahead of the planned protests, which were set to take place at three separate locations in the capital; the Journalists Syndicate and the Doctors Syndicate in downtown and at Behouth metro station in Giza, all under the slogan “Egypt Not For Sale.”
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According to press reports, some of the protesters dispersed by police at the Dokki march have sought refuge at the nearby headquarters of the Nasserist Karama Party, with security forces besieging the building. More than 150 protesters were arrested.
Local media outlets have reported that security forces in Cairo have been randomly stopping people in the streets and checking their mobile phone’s online applications to see whether they were participating in any protests.
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The protests came 10 days after several thousand people gathered in Cairo for the ‘Land Friday’ demonstration to protest the maritime border agreement, which places the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir within Saudi territorial waters.
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Army forces were deployed on Monday for Sinai Liberation Day celebrations.
Sinai Liberation Day marks the final withdrawal of Israeli forces from Sinai Peninsula as well as the two disputed islands.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Saudi King Salman

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Le président égyptien sous le feu des critiques
pour avoir cédé deux îles à l’Arabie saoudite

(RT Francais) ~ Le maréchal Abdel Fattah al-Sissi a signé hier un accord avec ses homologues saoudiens, leur cédant les îles de Tiran et de Sanafir, situées dans une région stratégique à l’extrémité du golfe d’Aqaba, contrôlée depuis 1950 par le Caire.
Ce renoncement de l’Egypte à des îles importantes situées dans une région stratégique à l’extrémité du golfe d’Aqaba, qui donne sur la mer Rouge, a soulevé une vague de critiques dans le pays.
Remises à l’Arabie saoudite en vertu d’un accord de délimitation des frontières maritimes, ces îles représentaient la pomme de discorde entre ces deux pays depuis plusieurs décennies. Les négociations sur la délimitation de la frontière ont duré six ans et onze réunions de la commission ad hoc ont été organisées durant cette période.
Selon les hommes politiques égyptiens, la délimitation précise des frontières permettra aux deux pays de mieux utiliser leurs eaux territoriales. Mais dans la rue, la décision ne passe pas auprès de la population. Le journal égyptien Al-Ahram décrit ainsi une «vague colossale de controverse et de confusion», après que cinq personnes, qui protestaient contre l’accord, ont été arrêtées ce weekend et détenues jusqu’à lundi.
Inhabitées, ces îles sont stratégiquement importantes en raison de leur position sur la route maritime des ports d’Aqaba en Jordanie et d’Eilat en Israël.
Il y a quelques jours, le roi saoudien Salmane ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud avait également annoncé qu’un pont serait construit sur la mer Rouge afin de relier son pays à l’Egypte.
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SOURCES:
Edited and Submitted by SyrianPatriots 
War Press Info Network at:
https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/tiran-and-sanafir/
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River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
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