LATEST: Israel and Palestine — US To Host Talks Next Week
PHOTO: Rally for former President Morsi in Alexandria on Friday
Mass protests in support of deposed President Mohamed Morsi are likely in Cairo on Friday, more than two weeks after he was overthrown by the military.
Morsi supporters have continued protests and sit-ins after the coup, notably in the square in front of the Rabba El-Adewaya Mosque in a Cairo suburb. Last week, about 50 of them were killed by the security forces during a demonstration near the Republican Guards Headquarters, where Morsi is being held under de facto house arrest.
The National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy, a movement including the Muslim Brotherhood, has called for “Breaking the Coup” rallies in major squares in Cairo and elsewhere.
The Coalition said in a statement that the only way to end the current political deadlock is to “reverse the coup and restore the legitimacy of the President, the Constitution, and the Parliament”.
Latest Updates, From Top to Bottom
Israel and Palestine: US To Host Talks Next Week
After a day of meetings in the West Bank following a Thursday phone call from President Obama to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Washington will host talks with Israel and Palestinian negotiators in the next week.
Kerry said he and the parties “reached an agreement that establishes a basis for direct final status negotiations”, but he added that it was “still in the process of being formalised”.
The US Secretary of State warned against “conjecture” and said both sides had agreed that only he would make further comment on the process:
The best way to give these negotiations a chance is to keep them private.
We know that the challenges require some very tough choices in the days ahead. Today, however, I am hopeful.
Egypt: 1000s March in Dozens of Pro-Morsi Protests
Many thousands of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi have participated in dozens of marches in Cairo and across Egypt on Friday.
There were no reports of significant violence, as demonstrators held placards and pictures of Morsi — overthrown by the military on July 3 — let off fireworks, and chanted “God is great”. Large banners proclaims “No to the bloody coup”, and stones were arranged to spell “Down with the military”.
Thousands of anti-Morsi demonstrators have gathered tonight at the Ittihadiya Presidential Palace and Tahrir Square to celebrate the mass protests of 30 June, as well as the Ramadan anniversary of Egypt’s victory over Israel in a 1973 war.
Iraq: Bomb Kills 20 at Wijaihiya Mosque in Diyala Province
20 people have been killed and more than 40 injured by a bomb attack in a Sunni Mosque in the town of Wijaihiya, 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, according to officials.
Egypt: Former Supply Minister Criticises Interim Government’s Lack of Islamists
Former supply minister, Bassem Ouda, told Turkey’s TRT Arabic satellite channel yesterday that ousted president Morsi should have been given time to correct mistakes.
Ouda, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, also criticised the interim government in Cairo, saying, “The Muslim Brotherhood was criticised for excluding other political groups from power, but Hazem El-Beblawi’s cabinet excludes the entire Islamist current that represents 70 percent of the Egyptian people.”
He added, “I would like to send a message to those who were calling for a referendum to see if Morsi should continue – how can we have a referendum on the president if there is no state or parliament?”
Bahrain – United Nations Condemns Violence, Urges “Reforms and Reconciliation”
United Nations Security General Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement expressing concern about the increase in violence in Bahrain, specifically condemning Wednesday’s car bomb attack at a mosque in Riffa.
The statement said, “The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Government and people of Bahrain to engage in an all–inclusive, meaningful dialogue in order to defuse tensions, promote reforms and foster reconciliation.”
Egypt: Talks Between Military, Muslim Brotherhood Make No Progress
Mediators have said that talks between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, the power behind the deposed Morsi Government, have made little progress.
The intermediaries said the military have refused so far to release Morsi and his aides, under de facto house arrest, or arrested leaders of the Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, the Brotherhood has demanded the reversal of the July 3 coup as a precondition for any settlement.
One mediator, who is “close to senior military officials”, said he believed the only concessions the military would offer were the release of senior leaders, the reopening of Islamist TV stations, and the possibility that the Brotherhood would not be banned.
“This is not a negotiation,” said Amr Darrag, a senior leader of the Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party. “This is putting a gun to your head.”
Brotherhood leaders rejected an early vote for a new Parliament. “I’m telling you, there will be no elections soon,” Mohammed Ali Beshr said. “[The Italian ambassador proposing this] doesn’t understand. Nobody does.”
“The Italian ambassador was talking to me the other night,” said Mohammed Ali Beshr, a senior Brotherhood leader who has been meeting with diplomats. “He told me that quick elections were the solution, and that we can be part of that.”
The Brotherhood representatives also accused the military and its head, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi — who had reportedly called on Morsi for months to make political compromises — of stabbing the President in the back.
“Sisi said to Morsi two days before the coup, ‘My neck before yours, Mr. President’,” said one senior Brotherhood leader. “He sent us messages that were like tranquilizers and fooled us.”
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Condemns EU’s Failure to Denounce Coup
The Muslim Brotherhood has criticised the European Union for failing to denounce the military coup that ousted president Morsi.
Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign minister, met with senior pro-Morsi figures in Cairo on Wednesday, including representatives from the Freedom and Justice Party and former premier Hesham Qandil.
The party, released a statement expressing “its surprise and condemnation of the official position of the European Union, which did not … condemn the military coup that denied the Egyptian people their right to choose their president, their parliament, and their constitution.”
Turkey: Human Rights Association Denounces Government, Judiciary, Police Handling of Gezi Park Protests
Turkey’s oldest and largest human rights organisation has denounced the handling of recent protests by the government, judiciary and police, likening the present situation to a “police state.”
The Human Rights Association (İHD), accused the government of starting a “witch hunt” after the Gezi Park protests.
Öztürk Türkdoğan, the president of the İHD, also condemned “police violence [which] has shown itself in the manner of torture and maltreatment, torture continued to be applied overtly in Turkey in an altered way. The government’s attitude in protecting the torturers has unfortunately manifested that the policy of impunity continues.”
He added that “One of Turkey’s most fundamental problems is the inability to maintain the judiciary’s impartiality and independence.”
Egypt: Tamarod and 30 June Front Call For Rallies Against Military’s Roadmap
At a conference organised by the Tamarod campaign and the 30 June Front on Thursday, both groups stated that they have strong misgivings about the constitutional declaration and the roadmap announced by the army.
They urged people to participate in rallies in Tahrir Square and at the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace on Friday to make those demands.
Tamarod spokesperson Hassan Shahin blamed armed terrorist grouops for the current crisis and called on “the security authorities [to] firmly deal with them.”
He added, “Tamarod’s goal is to get rid of corrupt leaders and allow [Morsy supporters] to return to being a part of a unified Egyptian people. We call on the Egyptian army to arrest those who are a threat to national security and to the Egyptian state.”
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Proposes Crisis Talks via EU
Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, announced yesterday that the movement spoke to EU officials about a proposed framework for talks to resolve the current political crisis.
El-Haddad did not reveal any real details but described the proposal as a “framework” for opening a channel of dialogue. He also insisted that the coup that deposed former president Morsi be reversed.
With the EU acting as intermediaries in any talks, el-Haddad commented that “We need a third side. It’s not even clear who the third side would be. Is it the army? The NSF?”
EU representative, Bernardino Leon, said that had offered the European Union’s “good offices” to help resolve the crisis, although he said the term “mediator” exaggerated the role.
He added, “It is too early to talk about initiatives. We have just listened to the parties and to what are their positions and any possible room for openness to support. We believe that this should be an … Egyptian dialogue and no foreign actors.”
Egypt: Interim President Speaks to Nation
In a brief address on State TV on Thursday night, interim President claimed that the recent coup followed the “revolution” of protests against deposed President Morsi.
Mansour said the mass rallies three days before the military takeover were an extension of the 2011 Revolution that overthrew the Mubarak regime.
The interim President said Egypt will soon have national reconciliation as it proceeds with a political roadmap leading to a confirmed Constitution and Parliamentary elections. He said people want to go forward, while warning that there are others who want to lead the public to violence.
