Egypt is congratulating the Palestinians on reclaiming land in Gaza after the Israelis withdrew:
GAZA CITY (AFP) – A senior Egyptian envoy told the Palestinian parliament that Cairo would work “hand in hand” with the Palestinians for an end to Israel’s occupation of all territory seized in 1967.
“I have the pleasure of being with you to convey the congratulations of President (Hosni) Mubarak and his commitment that we stay hand in hand with you until all Palestinian territory, in the West Bank and as well as Gaza, is liberated,” Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman said on Tuesday.
Where’s the irony? What the AFP article leaves out is that Israel obtained occupied Gaza and the West Bank in 1967 as a result of the Six Day War. That was a little skirmish in which several Arab countries, led by Egypt under Gamal Nasser, were about to attack Israel but then got their clocks cleaned in a surprise Israeli strike against a superior (on paper anyway) Egyptian force. So it was largely Egypt’s fault that Israel conquered those territories and now the Arab country is congratulating the Palestinians on regaining land lost due to Egypt’s screw-up.