The Secretary General of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and President of the Shura Council Safwat el-Sherif warned of the possible outbreak of a religious war as a result of provocative Israeli actions seeking the Judaization of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is an Arab, Islamic and Christian issue, and the city constitutes the core of the Palestinian issue, said Sherif after a meeting of the Bureau of the Party Secretariat yesterday. He urged the Palestinian factions to quickly reconcile, as Israel is the sole benefactor of Palestinian infighting. In related news, demonstrations against Israeli violations continued yesterday in several governorates throughout Egypt. Students from the University of Damietta organized a silent protest during which they raised banners saying, "We are your ransom Al-Aqsa," and "No to Zionist brutality." In the same governorate, the People's Committee to Support the Palestinian People organized a mass demonstration in which representatives from the opposition parties denounced the silence of the Arabs. In Monufiya, nearly 2500 lawyers rallied in Shibin el-Kom Square, where they were surrounded by police to prevent their movement. Meanwhile, in Daqahlia, three deputies from the Muslim Brotherhood announced a decision by the Brotherhood parliamentary bloc to send a delegation to parliaments around the world in order to pressure Israel to cease its aggression. Students in the universities of Ain Shams, Helwan and Beni Suef each issued separate statements condemning Israel's latest measures. The chancellors from the three universities supported the statements saying Israel's actions were humiliating to Arabs and Muslims and violated all notions of international law. In the Occupied Territories, Israel eased its security procedures around Al-Aqsa and opened the entrances to the mosque. A street running along the city walls was also opened after a several day closure to allow students in the area to return to school. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
