Will the efforts to thwart Gulf reconciliation succeed?
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani delivers a speech in the Qatari capital Doha on 14 December 2019 [MUSTAFA ABUMUNES/AFP/Getty Images] January 2, 2021 at 3:27 pm
The Bahraini provocations in Qatar, in the form of breaching sea and air borders, came with an Emirati incitement to thwart Gulf reconciliation – or Saudi-Qatari reconciliation to be precise. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the only party that rejects reconciliation, in principle, for current and long-term reasons. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has a real interest in reconciliation and turning a new leaf. As for Egyptian President Abel Fattah Al-Sisi, he is acting based on the rice theory , and has no problem receiving rice from everyone, including Qatar. But he is weighing well, as an Emirati grain of rice may tip the balance, and it is likely that he will not accept the Saudi invitation to attend the GCC summit next week, siding with the UAE
Egyptian Journalists: There Is Nothing Condemnable About Having Friendly Relations With Israelis
December 15, 2020
Popular Egyptian actor and singer Mohamed Ramadan recently faced intense backlash after a photo snapped at a Dubai restaurant, showing him with his arm around Israeli singer Omer Adam, went viral on social media.
[1] Many Egyptians condemned Ramadan and even accused him of treason, and a Mohamed Ramadan Zionist hashtag was launched on Twitter. The fury increased even further after the photo was published on the Israel Foreign Ministry s Israel speaks Arabic Facebook page, with many expressing hatred for Israel and accusing Ramadan of serving this country s aim of currying favor with the Egyptian people.