TFLE01: INCREASING EGYPTIAN ANGER ABOUT LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 004680 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR MIKE SINGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV EG IS LE SUBJECT: TFLE01: INCREASING EGYPTIAN ANGER ABOUT LEBANON REF: A. CAIRO 4560 ¶B. CAIRO 4611 Classified by A/DCM Asif Chaudhry, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Egyptians are increasingly angry about the violence suffered by Lebanese civilians as a result of Israeli military operations against Hizbullah, and public outrage has surged since the July 30 Israeli bombing of Qana. Calls for the expulsion of the Israeli and U.S. ambassadors are becoming the norm at demonstrations and among some media commentators, and were echoed during a July 30 protest near the Embassy, conducted by approximately 100 opposition and independent parliamentarians. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) issued a statement on July 29 entitled, ""The MB Stand Towards the Resistance,"" in which the Sunni organization declares its support of the Shi'a Hizbullah. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Egyptians, whose initial reaction to Israeli military strikes was somewhat restrained, are increasingly angry about the violence suffered by Lebanese civilians as a result of Israeli operations against Hizbullah. Public outrage has surged since the July 30 Israeli bombing of Qana. Per reftels, demonstrations in support of Lebanon and against Israel have become near daily occurrences in Cairo since Israeli military operations began. In the past few days, slogans at the protests have become increasingly anti-American (for example, a Kefaya-sponsored demonstration to be held today is rallying demonstrators to ""protest against Israeli and U.S. criminality""),and calls for the expulsion of the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors are becoming the norm at protests and among some media commentators. ¶3. (C) An opposition initiative to convene an emergency meeting of Parliament (which is currently not in session) to discuss the Lebanon crisis was frustrated by National Democratic Party (NDP) MP's, who largely refused to agree to the proposal. However, emotions are still running high among parliamentarians, both opposition and NDP. On July 30 (following news of the Qana bombing),approximately one hundred MP's marched from Parliament to a square near the U.S. Embassy, chanting, ""we are all with the resistance."" (Note: According to Embassy contacts and press reports, all of the participating MP's were either independents or opposition members.) When barred from getting closer to the Embassy by Egyptian security forces, the MP's headed to the nearby Arab League headquarters, where they were received by Arab League SYG Amre Moussa. According to press reports, the parliamentarians submitted a formal memorandum of protest to Moussa, denouncing ""the Arab regimes' feeble position on the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the Palestinian territories,"" and calling for expelling the U.S. and Israeli ambassador from Egypt, severing relations with Israel, withdrawing Arab ambassadors from Tel Aviv, boycotting U.S. and Israeli products, and trying Israeli leaders as war criminals before the International Court of Justice. Separately, Mustafa al-Fiqqi (NDP MP, and chairman of Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee) reportedly stated to journalists that ""Israel is wreaking havoc in the region and will only be deterred through a confrontation ... we have historical confrontations with Israel that peace agreements cannot resolve."" ¶4. (C) Hussein Fahmy, a renowned Egyptian actor and UN Goodwill Ambassador, publicly announced his resignation as UN Goodwill Ambassador on July 30, reportedly stating that he is, ""not honored to work under this title,"" and that he would rather assist, ""any charities other than international organizations that have no respect for the rights of Arabs as human beings, and that employ double-standards."" On July 31, telephonic SMS's reportedly began to circulate among Egyptians, calling for a boycott of American products. Embassy contacts report that public sentiment is growing increasingly angry each day, and that had it not been for the current summer vacation period, we would have witnessed much larger and more violent demonstrations by university students. ¶5. (C) In a related development, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) issued a statement on July 29 entitled, ""The MB Stand Towards the Resistance,"" in which the Sunni organization declares its support of the Shi'a Hizbullah. The statement criticizes ""the attempts made by some regimes and clerics in the Arab and Islamic worlds to create confusion among the Arabs and Muslims by adopting political stands and issuing wrong religious fatwas against the resistance, particularly the resistance in Lebanon."" (Note: It is our understanding that the MB is referring in part to the July 17 fatwa issued by leading Saudi cleric Sheikh Abdullah bin Jabreen, which declared it unlawful to support, join, or pray for Hizbullah. End Note). The statement declares that, ""the MB views the Ja'fari Shiites as a Muslim sect .... there is a certain degree of differences in ideas and views concerning historic events. However, these differences and views do not necessarily make them depart from Islam."" It goes on to criticize ""those who are advocating that Hizbullah should not be supported because of its Shiite affiliation,"" and asserts that, ""helping the resistance in Lebanon, represented by Hizbullah, is a duty, because they are Arabs and Muslims who are resisting injustice and occupation."" RICCIARDONE