Egyptians to hold demo over island deal with Saudi Arabia

Egyptians plan to take to the streets in protest at Cairo’s decision to give away two islands to Saudi Arabia, defying a government ban on any demonstration.

Thousands of protesters are anticipated to take part in the mass demonstration, organized by April 6 Youth Movement later on Friday.

Protesters will march on the Tahrir Square after the Friday prayers from 30 different mosques to express their opposition to the government’s recent decision to hand over the control of the two strategic Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.

Egypt is reportedly receiving USD 20 billion in aid from Saudi Arabia in return for the move.

“Our right to this land is won by blood, not by documents and maps,” organizers wrote on Facebook page of the event.

“We gave more than 100,000 martyrs in our wars with Israel to restore this land. Tiran and Sanafir are our right, Egypt’s right, the right of our children and of our ancestors who were killed there. This right must be returned, even over our dead bodies,” they added.

Israel briefly occupied Tiran during the Suez Crisis in late 1956, and once more between 1967 and 1982 following the Six Day War.

According to Israeli media, Egypt informed Tel Aviv about its intention to give away the two strategic islands and received the Israeli blessing.

The daily Haaretz said Israel expressed its approval of the give-and-take during talks with the Egyptian side provided that freedom of navigation for Israeli ships through the area were guaranteed.

Israel also demanded that all other commitments undertaken by Egypt under the Camp David peace accord with Tel Aviv be honored, it added.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has said Saudi Arabia “will honor all of Egypt’s legal and international commitments in regard to the two islands” in a move seen by Israeli media as an attempt to appease Israel.

On Thursday, Egypt’s Interior Ministry called on people “not to get carried away by tendentious calls for protests,” adding that it would take “all decisive legal measures” against protesters.

Thousands of Egyptians have taken to social media websites over the past few days and accused President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of surrendering Egyptian territory in return for Saudi money.

Sisi has asked his critics to end discussions about the issue, saying “Egypt did not relinquish even a grain of sand. All the data and documents say nothing except that this particular right is theirs (Saudis).”

Tiran Island is located at the entrance of the Straits of Tiran, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aqaba. Its strategic significance lies in the fact that it is an important sea passage to the major ports of Aqaba in Jordan and Eilat in Israel.

Sanafir Island is in the east of Tiran Island, and measures 33 square kilometers (13 square miles) in area.

Ownership of the two islands was handed to Egypt in 1982, when Tel Aviv and Cairo signed the so-called Camp David peace accords.