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Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images
A man holds up a Quran as supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood chant slogans during a rally on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
News analysis
CAIRO -- On Saturday, millions of Egyptians are expected to vote in the first round of a national referendum to determine whether the country adapts a new and controversial constitution.
The voting will take place over two days, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. Ten out of the country's 27 governorates, comprising 26 million voters, will be allowed to vote on Saturday. The remaining 17 governorates and their 25 million voters will be allowed to vote the following Saturday.
Egyptians grapple with political future in controversial vote
Seven thousand judges will supervise the more than 6,000 polling stations on each voting day. The government was required to split the voting over two days because thousands of other judges boycotted supervising the referendum. Officials say voting will also be supervised by observers from civil society, human rights organizations and foreign and domestic media. The U.S.-based Carter Center, however, says it was not able to send an observer to witness the voting process because the regulations required by the Egyptian government were not clarified ahead of the vote.
Why does the referendum matter to Egypt, the region and the world?
If approved, the referendum would pave the way for a new social contract between the Egyptian state and its citizens. It would replace Egypt's 1971 constitution that had been amended by previous Egyptian presidents to bolster the authoritarian rule that devastated citizens' individual rights.
Keeping options open: Egypt's military maintains watchful eye on politics
Some, however, say the draft constitution changes nothing to curb the powers of the state, and instead opens the door for Shariah law to be strictly imposed. Others say this constitution is groundbreaking because it curbs the powers of the president, limiting his time in office to two terms and upholding the spirit of the 2011 revolution.
Egypt is the largest country in the Arab world, with a population of more than 80 million and great clout over the region. At the same time, Egypt is a vital U.S. ally. The Suez Canal, one of the world's most strategic waterways that connects Asia and East Africa to Europe, lies in Egypt, a country that is also essential to regional stability and is one of only two Arab countries that has a peace treaty with Israel.
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin is outside the presidential palace in Cairo where hundreds of thousands are protesting what they say is an unjust constitution. They want to delay a vote on the current draft of the constitution now scheduled for December 15.
Here's what is at stake in the referendum and what Egypt's draft constitution says about some of the most pressing issues facing the country:
On Islamic law and the role of religion
Egypt's draft constitution states that Islam is the official religion of the state. Supporters of the constitution say the draft allows for the freedom of religion. Article 43 states: "The State shall guarantee the freedom to practice religious rites and to establish places of worship for the divine religions."
Egypt is rapidly approaching its own 'cliff'
Supporters also argue that for the first time, cannons for Christians and Jews will serve as the principals for their personal laws. Opponents of the constitution say the document curbs the rights of religious minorities, including believers of non-monotheistic religions, because it states that the "principles of Shariah Law are the principal source of legislation."
The constitution then proceeds to narrowly define Shariah law as the exclusive interpretation of religious scholars belonging to Al Azhar University, the center of religious and academic learning for Sunnis in the Islamic world. Opponents are also worried about excerpts such as Article 11, which states: "The State shall safeguard ethics, public morality and public order and foster a high level of education and of religious and patriotic values." Critics say that opens the door for a religious take over of civil society and social affairs.
On the role of the military
The proposed constitution has not changed much in terms of the military's role and function in society. The constitution preserves the role of the Minister of Defense as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and maintains that the position be filled from within the institution's officer ranks.
Google+ Hangout from Cairo with NBC News' Ayman Mohyeldin
As such, Egypt's military is headed by a military officer, rather than a civilian. Critics warn this will allow the military to remain powerful and shielded from civilian oversight. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces, but he heads the National Defense Council. The military's budget remains a state secret and there are no stipulations to force the military to disclose its vast economic empire. Perhaps most troubling, critics say, is that the military would still be allowed to try civilians in military trials.
On the role of the president
Unlike previous presidents who served for decades at a time, Article 133 in the proposed constitution stipulates that the president will serve for a four-year term with a limit of two terms. Critics contend the new draft constitution preserves "dictatorial powers" for the president, including the ability to appoint judges.
PhotoBlog: Egypt vote sparks violent clashes between Islamists and opponents
The president is also not required by the constitution to appoint a vice-president, which makes the issue of succession somewhat vague. The new draft also prohibits the president from holding any "partisan position" for the duration of the presidency, which supporters say means that once an individual is elected, he must resign from any political party they belonged to.
On women
In the preamble, the draft constitution states that, "equality and equal opportunities are established for all citizens, men and women, without discrimination or nepotism or preferential treatment, in both rights and duties." Supporters of the constitution say the draft gives women new benefits, including support from the state for "widows and breadwinners" and will "ensure maternal and child health services free of charge."
'Men don't have to worry about being caught': Sex mobs target Egypt's women
Critics, however, contend that women's rights are too narrowly defined within the framework of religion and family affairs. They also argue that the strict interpretation of Islamic law could pave the way for limiting the rights of women.
Other issues stipulated in the draft constitution have also polarized the country, including articles that deal with the freedoms of speech, association and the media.
Supporters and opponents of the constitution have launched massive public awareness campaigns to persuade voters, but come Saturday, it will be the people who will have the final say.
More world stories from NBC News:
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- ANALYSIS: Egypt's military keeps close eye on politics
- EXCLUSIVE: Susan Rice drops out of running for secretary of state
- North Korean progress on nuclear arms, long-range missiles rattle U.S. and allies
- 'Who is my Mandela?' South Africans consider icon's place in a changing world
- Google+ Hangout from Egypt with NBC News' Ayman Mohyeldin
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Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Well, it's obviously different from the US constitution, which should make Ruth Bader Ginsburg very happy.
The Egyptians will take the opportunity to rewrite their Constitution again in another 30 years!
"Opponents of the constitution say the document curbs the rights of religious minorities, including believers of non-monotheistic religions, because it states that the "principles of Shariah Law are the principal source of legislation.""
Egypt under most extremist and dangerous one-way traffic Saudi Sunni Wahhabis wearing labels of Salaffi, Muslim Bloodhounds and other label Sunni Islamic religious Nazis are fast marching backwards to seventh century desert days.
They are not going to be much different than in Saudi Arabia and other nations.
Who can trust a word of what they say?
This new constitution is written in such a way that is open to vastly different interpretations and different articles appear to be in conflict with one another. The overriding thing is that it states that Shariah law is paramount and that a bunch of Sunni clerics have say over all laws and legal decisions. This is in conflict with any concept of freedom of religion. Also, the article in the constitution that reads
is extremely troubling in that no where in the document does it define what the "divine religions" are. This could easily be interpreted by the Sunni clerics as only meaning the flavors of Islam they approve of. The constitution as written leaves far too much open to interpretation and when that interpretation is going to be done by a bunch of Islamist Sunni clerics it does not bode well for the rights of women or minorities.
Of course the two day voting structure was set up because far too many judges refused to participate in overseeing this referendum. How long do you think that any non-Islamist judges will remain on the bench once this referendum passes and Morsi has the right to appoint the judges. I suspect that there will be a very major house cleaning of the existing judiciary with the existing judges who are not Islamists being replaced with ones who are. Also, the two day voting with the days a week apart gives the Muslim Brotherhood even more of an opportunity to rig the elections than they would have under a one day vote. They will have the chance to get a view of how the referendum is fairing after the first day to determine to what extent they need to stuff the ballot boxes going into the second day to make sure that the referendum passes. Be assured that the referendum will pass. The MB is in complete control of the country at this point and they are not going to allow anything to happen that might jeopardize that control. They rigged the presidential election to get their man Morsi into office and will rig this referendum to get this constitution in place to solidify their hold.
So women are supposedly granted 'equality', but that's subject to interpretation by a few Islamic 'scholars' under Shariah law that severely limits the rights of women.
That means that 'equality' means whatever the 'scholars' decide, which in Afghanistan under the Taliban means little more than slavery and forbids girls going to school or having an education.
Well, it is what it is. And that is a power grab over Egypt by a religious group in the area. Anyone who is not a Muslim and/or male will be subject to the same barbaric discrimination we see in other countries run by the Muslim faith. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Muslims or the religion so long as they move on past things like that. And this is coming from a Jew. However, there are plenty of murderers, rapists, and terrorists who hide behind the Muslim faith to try to justify their crimes, and far too often also get away with it over there. Furthermore, I don't believe the Muslim faith, or any other religion for that matter, should be in charge in most countries. I say this because as soon as the leadership of a country sponsors a religion, everyone not considered of said religion often becomes a potential target for discrimination or worse. And people of said religion get special "perks" and treatment over everyone else. You can't truly have religious freedom for all religions (not just one) until you have a government that isn't based on religion and preaches religious freedom and tolerance. That's what we do in the USA.
And religious freedom and tolerance is probably what that region needs most, along with woman's rights. In what Muslim run country has either of those things ever been a priority? How likely do you think Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have an agenda to insure those values despite the typical Muslim values that they clearly hold? My guess is not very likely. I don't mind that they are Muslim. I mind that they bring that into the Egyptian government as a center piece.
God of Fate " as soon as the leadership of a country sponsors a religion, everyone not considered of said religion often becomes a potential target for discrimination or worse. And people of said religion get special "perks" and treatment over everyone else. You can't truly have religious freedom for all religions (not just one) until you have a government that isn't based on religion and preaches religious freedom and tolerance."
The separation of church and state is the key to preventing religious intolerance, which has been at the root of some of the most heinous acts of cruelty in history. How many millions of innocent people have been murdered because the perpetrators considered it 'God's Will'?
Erase fountainhead of extremist version of Sunni Muslims, Saudi Arabia from the map.
As a starting stop supporting them in Syria and Iran.
Let the mad Sunnis and Shiites battle on whose Allah is greater.
To weaken our and world enemy No. 1, Sunni Saudi Arabia and other Sunni oil rich rulers, remove sanctions on Iranian oil.
Bringing oil prices down will also reduce our economic miseries.
"The constitution then proceeds to narrowly define Shariah law as the exclusive interpretation of religious scholars belonging to Al Azhar University, the center of religious and academic learning for Sunnis in the Islamic world."
You morons in Egypt do not think this is a problem? How much power and influence does it give that one university? Do you morons not think about corruption at all? Why not just be Catholic and worship the Pope instead? Might as well morons. Why do you not believe in Shia and the wisdom of the Imams then? Who runs that university? Who makes the appointments? What moron thinks that any human alive today is perfect or without faults? Do not act like your chit does not stink because I can smell that B.S. from here.
This and other conflicting articles is what happens when you rush a constitution through without thinking. Unless you consider and plan for failure you are f***ed. Chit happens all the time. Yes single redundant systems are simpler, cheaper, and more efficient, but any single critical component failure can cause the ENTIRE system to fail. Triple redundant or more is better for systems that cannot/should not fail like governments. Every single person needs checks and balances including those at the top or else. The problem is the people at the top make the rules if we let them and they remove those needed checks and balances all the time. Which ends up hurting the system and the majority of the people all for the benefit of the few.
People will fail, prepare for it or else. I do not see this vote as going well. America had to have its civil war and I would prefer it if Egypt did not have to suffer through the same kind of thing over different issues. Sometimes chit has to happen however for something "good" to happen.
Without some evil there could not be good. How many people can worship a God that allows one human the free will to kill 27 others, possibly even you or your child? Most Christians or Muslims cannot, they create the Devil or Iblis to deal with this issue since "God could never do that or allow it to happen" even though they only have the power to deceive and trick man into doing evil. How can you morons put limits on God's power again? God the all mighty, the all powerful, the creator of everything, etc. and you morons are going to say that he can or cannot do something... Only the Jewish people and some other religions have the marbles to accept God for what he is.
How can we have "good" again? What system allows for that and only that to happen? Would that not be a stagnant system if only good happened? Yes it would be and being stagnant it would be dead or without life. For life to exist there must be a difference of potentials. To perform any kind of work or motion there must be a difference of potentials according to the physics definition of work. One of the issues with quantum mechanics is what drives all of those random motions, virtual particles, etc. and how can things move all by themselves. If they are waves what causes them to increase in frequency or amplitude again? What causes a still pool of water to magically produce a wave without any external force applied to the pool? There must always be/exist a difference of potentials or else life as we know it could not exist.
There is insufficient, reliable information, so as to form an intelligent opinion.
^ Nonsense.
Too Late!
Egypt already had the choice to "elect" it's government....now they are at the mercy of a dictator.
Another Muslim country, ran by another militant puppet. The Muslim Brotherhood isn't going allow anyone or anything to come between them and ruling with an iron fist. Remember all that talking and buzz when the Muslim Brotherhood was elected? This is what it was about, the fear that it would turn into a dictatorship, or any type of totalitarian government, which Islam seems more than willing to adopt. (Iran, Syria, Iraq....etc...)
Reap what you deserve you militants have voted into power...now deal with the consequences.
See you fools during next years spring, I'm sure amongst a background of fire and tears, as your beloved Egypt is burning, and thousands of people are standing in the streets questioning, "How did all of this happen?"
Best thing of all, is that we know when your guns are pointed at each other (speaking to Muslims here), then we aren't being targeted (we, being NON-muslim)....as soon as there is peace, you'll be burning American flags again.
It doesn't matter what the Egyptians vote for; the near 50-50 political split in the country will continue, and voting on a new issue (such as this referendum) will serve only to re-highlight that schism, and to re-ignite the same violence and strife.
Democracy, constitution, human rights, women rights, deals, pacts, tolerance and other big words mean nothing to Saudi version of Sunnis.
Salaffi and Muslim Blood hounds will try to manipulate even this voting. So there will be no surprise, if this election is rigged!
Time has come for the US to dump Egypt, Sunni Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab League rulers. They have become fountainheads of Islamic religious madness.
Look at Syria: they can't tolerate a far better leader like Assad just because he belongs to a different Muslim sect!
Translation: It doesn't matter what the Egyptians vote for, whoever has the support of the military will rule.
@ denver bill 2,
You are likely right. I hope that not only you are right, but that the military has the right values. Otherwise, it does nobody any good. Mosri can't win the military over by over supporting them the way Mubarak did, or he creates the exact same situation that made the people rebel in the first place. So that gives me some hope.
So does the military support Morsi anyways for the sake of stability? Does it support the people wronged by the unfair constitution if it passes? Or does it play the neutral "referee" like role it played in the revolution, which ultimately got the people their rights? Does the military do something else instead? Does it split into different factions?
I hope for everyone's sake that the military doesn't support Morsi over the people. Although considering the past history, it is likely the majority of the military would be a mediator of sorts they were in the revolution, by not killing the people but not supporting the current unfair regime either. That might be enough for the people to eventually win back their rights with enough pressure on Morsi. I can only hope.
denver bill 2:
Your interpretation of my previous post distorts what I wrote, which has nothing to do with who will "rule" in Egypt. No matter who "rules" in Egypt, the country will remain divided in a 50-50 political split, and Egypt's instability will continue.
God of Fate:
Regarding your hope that the Egyptian military will have the "right" values, ....just which values do you consider "right"? A military is an instrument, a tool - analogous to a hammer, and cannot of itself have any values. So the question becomes: Whose hand will control the military? And once again, whoever controls the military will have placed himself in opposition to the other 50% of the country.
By "right" values, I mean NOT controlled by Morsi to the exclusion of all else, and NOT against religious freedom/tolerance and woman's rights. If the military has the hands off approach much of them had in the revolution, that would insure that the part the people against Muslim rule would be able to pressure the current government into providing said rights to all and not just Muslims. Although, basic woman's rights still seem a far cry away over there. Regardless, the best case scenario for us is that neither the people or the Muslim Brotherhood control the military, but that they remain a balancing factor for the time being. If they decide to take sides with Morsi and the Muslim brotherhood, there is 0 chance of that and we will have yet another country over there run only by a single religion. Something I wish to avoid, although it may be too late.
I shouldn't have started my post with "Translation." It was intended to elaborate on your post, not distort it.
True. Also true if you substitute "United States" for "Egypt."
The vote is just going to be symbolic (in my opinion), I doubt the Muslim Brotherhood or Morsi will let the voters pass anything that stifles their rule.
Never-the-less, Obama is sending 20 - F-16, Fighting Falcon Jets, at the cost of 20 to 45 million dollars, each, to "the new Egypt". Obama is indeed Santa Claus - even (always rather) to the Muslims! What a guy!
We send all sorts of people presents like this, and this started way before Obama even was a politician. I don't understand how you all are just getting around to finding this out now!
The photo at the top of this article says it all. If that is the spirit they want to lead them, all I can say is they will get what they deserve.
See the Islamic religious madness in full view! It is too scary!
It is going to be real bad news for sane Muslims, females, Christians and Jews!
Here Netanyahus imagine that they are too smart!
They don't understand the implications and what Saudi version of Sunnis like Salaffi, Muslim Blood hounds will do to Jews and Israel once they settle for Islamic rule under Sharia Laws!
KICK OUT MORSI, SALAFFI, MUSLIM BLOOD HOUNDS ONCE FOR ALL FROM EGYPT!
STOP SUPPORTING FOUNTAINHEADS OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS MADNESS LIKE THOSE IN SUNNI SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER SUNNI ME RULERS.
When I read this and see what is happening in Egypt, it make me more thankful, to have been born in the United States! Freedom, is more important! It is sad, they were almost there.
You can put lipstick on a pig.
Don't trust a word of what the Sunni Islamic Saudi version mad religious Nazis say!
In Egypt, the Sunni extremists with labels like Salaffi and MB (Muslim Blood hounds) are opening up new chapters of Islamic bigotry. Morsi is just a front for them.
Just watch the fate of sane Muslims, Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Followers of Islamic cult, especially House of Saud and other Sunni ME rulers inspired and funded Sunni Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones. Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
Are we not committing hara-kiri by supporting our enemies and killers?
Listen to what Jonathan says instead.
LOL
Those guys look pretty unstable. Radical almost. This is what the rest of the world will have to deal with.
Brought to you by President Barrack Obama.
Jatty,
Crawl back into your troll hole.
"Curious" how the News-Media has neglected to report on the 20 - F-16, Fighting Falcon Jets, being sent to Egypt at the cost of 20 to 45 million dollars each. Obama is indeed Santa Claus.
Obama has Israel's back!!!
With a knife in his hand.
This will be an interesting moment. The Muslim Brotherhood has lost a good deal of its political clout and credibility since President Morsi rescinded his assertion of dictatorial powers.
I'm guessing that the Constitution is rejected, and that a revised document is submitted 6 months from now, one more secular in its principals.
But that is only a guess. The only thing certain is that a defining moment in Egyptian history is approaching.
Hopefully with as many poll watcher as they will have their election will not be rigged like our last one. The Constitution is obviously written to give sharia law an upper hand in all matters. Something every free country in the world will have to deal with some day.
Well, the people will likely reject it and head back to the streets. Interesting to see which side the military will end up supporting.
Think of something new and original MSN. It gets tiresome and boring to see yet again pictures of a bunch of "angry protesters", or whatever. We get enough of that on TV and what's left of the newspapers.
Voting means nothing if the counting is not on the up and up. They vote in Russia too but no one ever loses that isn't suppose to lose
Don't worry folks the worst is yet to come,we will never have peace with these people,they will never give up until every last one of us that don't believe in their God is dead.That's when the hell for these people begins,there will be no peace among them,all it will be mistrust,killing and stavation,not a pretty picture.
As long as there are tanks surrounding President Morsi, it is safe to say that many Egyptians won't be happy.
It means we either will or will not be able to go over there and see the pyramids. Other than that, it's none of our business. We need to concern ourselves with our own country instead of butting our noses in where we don't belong. We have enough people in this country wanting handouts
The extreme extreme radical Islamists want to demolish the Pyriamds,,,so if they get their way no more tourists....
O-Well---we got a pyramid in Vegas
This whole thing started in Tunisia...it then went to Lybia, Egypt, and Sryia, and what is the outcome of all this? Tunisia,? Libya? Egypt...Muslim Brotherhood who say they will follow the Koran to the letter, which mean bye bye equality, fairness, human rights, etc...To one degree or the other Obama has backed all the Arab Spring uprisings. So now he has to live with it....
Get a grip, Stan. Obama is the President, remember? Congress does the heavy lifting, so that means Congress supports these people. And I hear it was the guy YOU voted for that swayed the vote.
Well not just Obama, but the US foreign policy in general has long had a priority for stability and peace in the region over anything else. This dates long before Obama's first election. That's why we backed Mubarak for so long. Egypt caused relatively little trouble for outside nations while he was in power, and was also stable. Both of those things are desperately needed in that region. I'm not saying it was right to support him, but that's why we did it.
The thinking here was that we would support the people so that they might have better governments to support and we could also coincide with better human rights while maintaining the same goals. The problem is what truly replaces those governments. In Egypt, they only had a choice between Morsi and Mubarak's remnants. Considering they just overthrew Mubarak, Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood was obviously going to win. The problem now, is that religion now runs Egypt's government. Religious freedom and tolerance are what that region needs most along with woman's rights. Neither of those have been priorities under just about any Muslim run country in the region. I highly doubt the Muslim Brotherhood and their figurehead Morsi will be much different.
Our mistake was NOT in helping Egypt's revolution. Our mistake was not staying to make sure Egypt had better choices (or at least one) to choose from after we got involved in the first place. They weren't stable enough anymore to do it on their own after the revolution.
Critic....That is just that Obama is the Pres...and having voted for him the first time I thought he would do better....sadly he has not...at least in my opinion...as for Congress doing the heavy lifting? what heavy lifting are you talking about? You mean when they have to get off their duff and do something? :0)
Great photo there. My take is that somebody slipped these good muslims a pint and a sawbuck and sent them to demonstrate in their new T-shirts and holding their new korans.
Whatever the outcome of all this, we can be sure they'll hate us even more.
And we'll probably keep shipping suitcases full of money to them . . .
Maybe if we bribe the military in Egypt to do our bidding by sending the aid to them instead, the government in Egypt will be forced to acknowledge the people's rights (including non-Muslim and woman) and answer to us. And then they would have plenty of to spend on the country and it's people since we would be paying some of the military's budget. I would be willing to pay for that.
god: most of our aid goes exactly to bribe the military to be our ally. They know what we want, and they know what they need to do to keep the money flowing.
I'm more worried about how many calories are in a Big Mac than anything in the middle east. Good by
I hope it doesn't pass. They need a constitution that truly protects non-Muslims and woman. Of course, that only does them any good if the government is willing to enforce it. First I hope this fails and they pressure Morsi to make a fairer, clearer, and less vague constitution. Then, I hope the military will support the right's of the people if said government ever fails to.
The outcome is nearly certain....called voter fraud...so Morsy and MB win....
No matter how it turns out, obama will continue to prop up the government with billions of borrowed American tax dollars.
We're borrowing money to give the fanatical muslims... How screwed up is that?
And we're still completing an order of 20 F16s to be delivered to President Morsi on behalf of President Mubarak.
Perhaps it would have more prudent to hold off until things are a little clearer; or as we like to say in the U.S., transparent.
We need freedom from not of religion, secular ethics, not religious bigotry! Have yourself a Happy WinFest- short for WinterFest - where everybody wins! :)
We've got trillions in debt again this year, yet however this vote turns out we'll still send billions of American dollars to prop up the government there.
This country is so very broken.
we're sending money to egypt mostly to bribe the military to keep stability in the largest arab country in the middle east, and keep them militarily neutral towards isreal.
actually sounds like a pretty good investment to me.
Except that since Morsi has taken power he has broken that treaty with Israel by once again militarizing the Sinai Peninsula by moving tanks and personel to the border of Gaza and Israel. Part of Israel giving the Sinai back to Egypt after it was controlled after the 1967 war was that it remain a neutral zone.
The world would be better off if they all recognized the Ten Commandments.
My vote it to with-hold arms shipments to Egypt under the circumstances. When a country's leader attempts to become a dictator and thwart democracy, all aid should be stopped. Seems simple to me.