14 septembre 2011
3
14
/09
/septembre
/2011
01:05
A shaken Israel says peace accord with Egypt stands
Egyptian army officers arrest a suspected demonstrator attempting to come close to the Israeli embassy. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
Published: Sep 10, 2011 23:05 Updated: Sep 10, 2011 23:05
"Israel will continue to hold fast to the peace accord with Egypt," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in televised remarks. "We are working together with the Egyptian government to return our ambassador to Cairo soon. I would like to ensure that the security arrangements necessary for him and for our staff will be steadfast."
Egypt vowed to try those behind Friday night's violence. Washington, which has poured billions of dollars of military aid into Egypt since it made peace with Israel in 1979, urged Cairo to protect the mission after protesters hurled embassy documents and the Israeli flag from the windows of the building.
Three people were killed and 1,049 wounded in the clashes that began Friday and raged on into the early hours of Saturday around the Cairo tower block housing the embassy, the Health Ministry said. Police and soldiers had fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd, which hurled stones at them.
"Egypt witnessed a harsh day that inflicted pain and worry on all Egyptians. It is clear that the behavior of some threatens the Egyptian revolution," Information Minister Osama Hassan Heikal said in a televised statement.
Egypt would transfer those in custody or "involved in inciting or participating in (Friday's) events to the emergency state security court," the minister said, adding that Cairo would use emergency laws still in place to protect the nation.
Protesters lit tires in the street and at least two vehicles were set alight near the embassy. Many had come from a demonstration earlier on Friday in central Cairo calling for the army to end emergency law and speed up other reforms.
"Our dignity has been restored," said Mohi Alaa, 24, a protester near the site of the overnight clashes. Bits of concrete and bullet casings were strewn over the street.
"We don't want America's money," he said, showing the greater readiness of many Egyptians to express resentment of Israel and the United States and anger at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, after decades of official relations.
Some 500 protesters stayed after dawn and a few threw stones at police, who gradually pushed them away and secured the area around the embassy, located on the upper floors of a residential block overlooking the Nile.
It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month when Israeli forces clashed with cross-border raiders it said were Palestinians. Egypt then briefly threatened to withdraw its envoy to Israel.
Israel has stopped short of apologizing, saying it is still investigating the Egyptian deaths, which occurred during an operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis.
Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, staff and family members arrived home on Saturday, but one diplomat stayed in Egypt to maintain the embassy, an Israeli official said.
The information minister's statement followed a crisis meeting between Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and other ministers as well as talks with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the military council that has ruled Egypt since Mubarak resigned on Feb. 11.
State television said the military council rejected Sharaf's offer to resign.
Egypt vowed to try those behind Friday night's violence. Washington, which has poured billions of dollars of military aid into Egypt since it made peace with Israel in 1979, urged Cairo to protect the mission after protesters hurled embassy documents and the Israeli flag from the windows of the building.
Three people were killed and 1,049 wounded in the clashes that began Friday and raged on into the early hours of Saturday around the Cairo tower block housing the embassy, the Health Ministry said. Police and soldiers had fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd, which hurled stones at them.
"Egypt witnessed a harsh day that inflicted pain and worry on all Egyptians. It is clear that the behavior of some threatens the Egyptian revolution," Information Minister Osama Hassan Heikal said in a televised statement.
Egypt would transfer those in custody or "involved in inciting or participating in (Friday's) events to the emergency state security court," the minister said, adding that Cairo would use emergency laws still in place to protect the nation.
Protesters lit tires in the street and at least two vehicles were set alight near the embassy. Many had come from a demonstration earlier on Friday in central Cairo calling for the army to end emergency law and speed up other reforms.
"Our dignity has been restored," said Mohi Alaa, 24, a protester near the site of the overnight clashes. Bits of concrete and bullet casings were strewn over the street.
"We don't want America's money," he said, showing the greater readiness of many Egyptians to express resentment of Israel and the United States and anger at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, after decades of official relations.
Some 500 protesters stayed after dawn and a few threw stones at police, who gradually pushed them away and secured the area around the embassy, located on the upper floors of a residential block overlooking the Nile.
It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month when Israeli forces clashed with cross-border raiders it said were Palestinians. Egypt then briefly threatened to withdraw its envoy to Israel.
Israel has stopped short of apologizing, saying it is still investigating the Egyptian deaths, which occurred during an operation against gunmen who had killed eight Israelis.
Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, staff and family members arrived home on Saturday, but one diplomat stayed in Egypt to maintain the embassy, an Israeli official said.
The information minister's statement followed a crisis meeting between Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and other ministers as well as talks with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the military council that has ruled Egypt since Mubarak resigned on Feb. 11.
State television said the military council rejected Sharaf's offer to resign.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article500045
Les articles et autres textes publiés ne reflètent pas obligatoirement les opinions du Comité Justice et Paix en Palestine et au Proche-Orient (CJPP5), qui dénie toute responsabilité dans leurs contenus, lesquels n'engagent que leurs auteurs ou leurs traducteurs. Nous sommes attentifs à toute proposition d'ajouts ou de corrections.
Partager cet article
