Shoura Council [Egypt's lower chamber of Parliament] Speaker Safwat al-Sharif stopped the issuance of a statement prepared by the Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee about Iran's recent stances, which were described as provocative against Egypt. The Shoura Council's press and information department withdrew the copies of the statement after distributing them to some journalists under the pretext of postponing its issuance till today. Al-Sharif rejected the statement due to its strongly-worded language, especially when it described the Iranian statements as misleading with regard to Egypt's stance on the situation in the Gaza Strip, sources said.
In the – frozen – statement, of which Al-Masry Al-Youm got a copy, the committee said no one can speculate on the Egyptian role. Misleading the public opinion is unacceptable, the statement says, wondering about what Iran offered to the Palestinian Cause during decades of Arab-Israeli conflict. Tehran did nothing serious against enemies of the Palestinian people, but it exploits the issue now to gain regional influence, the statement goes on to say.
The Iranian statements about Egypt's stance on the Palestinian issue are an extension to the Iranian policy and this is contrary to the norms of international relations, the statement also reads, adding that Tehran has shown its policy to all national forces and to the regional and global public opinion. The statement describes the Iranian remarks regarding Egypt's role in the issue of Gaza and Rafah border crossing as "false statements", as Rafah border crossing is regulated by an agreement signed between the legitimate Palestinian National Authority, Israel and Europe in 2005.
The committee rejects the Iranian policy of planting the seeds of sectarian sedition so that Gaza would remain an area of troubles to achieve its clandestine goals. The committee also notes that some regional parties aborted Egypt's efforts to achieve Palestinian national unity.
The statement calls on regional powers not to intervene in other states' internal affairs, warning against a possible Palestinian split. The Palestinian resolution should be in favor of the Palestinian cause and not for the benefit of any other regional body, it adds. In addition, the Iranian foreign policy should be in line with Tehran's pro forma attempts to develop relations with Cairo, the committee finally affirms.
