Topics tackled by Egyptian columnists on Monday

CAIRO – 24 July 2017: Arab columnists tackled many topics on Monday, covering the Arab-Qatari rift, the 65th anniversary of Egypt’s July 23 revolution, and Qatar’s Tamim first televised speech since the beginning of the Arab-Qatari diplomatic crisis.

Al-Ahram

Columnist Makram Mohamed Ahmed tackled disputes and consensual views between the U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson over the Arab-Qatari crisis and the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. Tillerson criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord without prior consultations with the U.S. State Secretariat.

Makram’s opinion piece entitled “Trump and Tillerson…tiring partnership.” Tillerson described the Arab quartet demands from Qatar as “unrealistic,” while Trump’s stance towards the crisis is clear from the beginning as he accused Qatar of being “historical financer of terrorist groups,” according to Makram.

Political expert Amr Abdel Samee’ praised the British government decision to transfer extremist prisoners to 'separation centers’ inside jails so as not to influence other prisoners’ ideologies.

Abdel Samee’ said, in his easy “British jails’ correct decisions’, that it’s a wise decision on political, security and humanitarian levels,” adding that the Egyptian authorities have to learn from the British experience and separate the detained extremists from other prisoners such as ‘terrorist Mohamed Morsi’.

Al-Akhbar

Columnist Galal Dowedar tackled Qatari Emir Tamim’s speech on Saturday stressing that Tamim’s televised speech lacked sound evaluation by the Qatari administration that may ‘harm the region’s stability and security.’

Dowedar’s “false speech after long silence” criticized Tamim’s speech. “Tamim did not admit Al Jazeera has a vital role in rousing the crisis with the Arab nations,” Dowedar added.

Al-Shorouk

Emad Eddin Hussein’s “Egypt between Turkey and Germany” discusses German reports, which accuse Turkey of supporting terrorism and extremist ideas.

“Berlin’s advice to its nationals to avoid travelling to Turkey is an escalating development in the German-Turkish relations,” according to Hussein.

Hussein manifested that the German decisions definitely will benefit Egypt at the time being, adding that “50 percent of the German tourists’ destination will be to Egypt, not Turkey.”

“The EU-Turkish strained relations have significant developments that shall affect the entire region most importantly the German-Turkish relationship,” Hussein stressed.

Al-Watan

Emad Eddin Adib wondered if the goals behind the eruption of the July 23 Revolution were achieved. His piece “65 years since 23 July revolution.”
“23 July Revolution aimed at achieving the main three democratic principles,” Hussein said.

He previewed a personal conversation between him and a taxi driver in Alexandria about the definition of ‘democracy’ as it refers to freedom of expression and guarantee of citizens’ primary rights on equal scale under legal umbrella according to Hussein.