Remove Israeli envoy, stop gas exports, Egyptian parliament demands

The Egyptian parliament voted unanimously on a statement calling for the deportation of Israel’s ambassador and stopping gas exports to Israel.

The People’s Assembly passed the resolution Monday night stating that the halting of gas exports is in protest against attacks by Israel on Gaza.

The measure also called for the withdrawal of the Egyptian ambassador from Tel Aviv, according to Al Masry Al Youm (the Egypt Independent) daily newspaper and a renewal of the Arab boycott against Israel.

“Egypt after the revolution will never be a friend of the Zionist entity, the first enemy of Egypt and the Arab nation,” the resolution reportedly said, and demanded that the Egyptian government review all its relations and agreements with that “enemy,” according to Al Masry.

The motion is largely symbolic, according to The Associated Press, because only the ruling Military Council, the country’s current government, can make such decisions.

People’s Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny asked a special parliamentary committee to take the demands to the government, according to Al Masry.