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People have refused to leave the streets ever since Friday, when three-decade-long President Hosni Mubarak handed power over to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces, giving in to 18 straight days of demonstrations. The people have urged the new military rulers to hand over power to a civilian government as soon as possible, a Press TV report says.
“We are not with America or any other government. We are able to help ourselves. We don’t need America, France or Israel. We have proved that we have a high degree of knowledge. If America needs help we can help. We are greater than the US,” a protester told Press TV.
Downplaying the popular outrage on January 25, when the uprising began, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rated the North African ally’s government as a stable one. Later, however, Washington supported transition of power to the people as the protests gathered momentum.
The protesters also called on the future government not to undermine its legitimacy by recognizing Israel.
“I don’t think that Israel is a state. I don’t believe in it. Israel is just an occupation. I personally, as an Egyptian, do not acknowledge the existence of Israel. Any Arab government that deals with Israel or works under Israel I do not acknowledge it either,” he added.
The former government endorsed Israel as a ‘state’ in a sign of allegiance to Washington and has invariably cooperated with Tel Aviv’s crippling siege of the Gaza Strip by closing its Rafah border-crossing with Gaza, which is the enclave’s only terminal that bypasses Israel.
“We are not with America. We are Egyptian and we can decide our fate on our own. We do not acknowledge any other foreign government to say that they will decide any fate for us. Only we decide,” said another rallier.
The revolution followed one in Tunisia, which ended the 23-year-long rule of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Tunis kept a close relationship with Paris, which had reportedly ordered for weapons and riot control equipment to be sent to Tunisia to curb the as popular uprising.
“We are against the US interfering in Egypt’s establishment of a democratic government. We are against any foreign interference. We are against the involvement of America and France in our affairs,” said another demonstrator.
