CAIRO: Muslim Brotherhood members of Parliament demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Egypt on Tuesday. A heated session in parliament was seen as members of the Muslim Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc demanded the Egyptian government expel the Israeli Ambassador from Egypt immediately. They also called for the government to stop the export of Egyptian gas to Israel in response to Israel's continuing crimes against the Palestinian people and the breaking into Muslims' sacred shrine al-Aqsa mosque. The secretary of the Muslim Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc, Dr. Ahmed Diab, warned that the continuation of efforts in “Judaizing” Jerusalem and the confiscation of houses to establish settlements for “colonization was unacceptable,” indicating that by allowing Egypt's Olympic team to enter the occupied territories of Palestine with an Israeli visa “only encourages the Israeli entity to continue in its arrogance. “Before asking the international community to take action, we must take the necessary steps to compel the government to defend the Islamic sanctities,” he said, urging the government to realize the people's growing anger. MP Bahaa al-Din Atia accused the Arab League of failing to perform its purpose. The People's Assembly Speaker Ahmed Fathi Sorour warned of an impeding religious war over the Israeli Defense Force's attempts to include the Ibrahimi Mosque as part of a list of Jewish heritage sites, indicating that “this is a historical fallacy and is an attack on Islamic holy sites.” Minister of State for Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils Mufid Shehab underscored that the Hague Convention provides for non-eligibility of the IDF to seize any part of the land for its historical heritage, indicating that this decision is “contrary to the law and historical constants.” The Israeli Embassy in Cairo declined to comment on the situation, but added that the ambassador is currently not in the country at the present moment. BM
