Egyptian MP: Two Red Sea islands are Egyptian

Cairo – Egyptian journalist and parliamentarian Abdel Rehim Ali said on Wednesday that the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.

Ali posted on his official Facebook page that he will repeat that fact about the two islands over and over again, because he does not want to lose his dignity and self-esteem when he narrates the history of his country to his sons and grandsons.

“I can’t dare to accuse neither Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi nor Egyptian army of disloyalty. I always support the army and advocate its members,” Ali said.

“However, I do not think the parliament has the right to debate the case of the two islands, while the judiciary issued a final verdict on this issue,” he reiterated.

Ali pointed out that he will not attend the final voting of the parliament session on this case because he disagrees debating this issue by the parliament after the judiciary has announced its verdict on the case.

On Wednesday, Egypt's parliament supported plans to hand over the two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia under the controversial agreement signed in 2016 between Cairo and Riyadh. This deal has recently sparked popular protests and widespread criticism in the African country.

Egypt’s parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal said on June 14 that the required majority of lawmakers voted in favor of the agreement.