CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has caught the public’s attention after being filmed cycling around various locations during the Eid holiday.
Three videos of the leader riding and talking to citizens have gone viral online in the past few days.
His public cycling tours have become a tradition, beginning in 2014 during his bid for presidency.
During his latest tour, he met an Egyptian family to learn about their quality of life and listen to their demands.
While cycling on Friday in New Alamein, El-Sisi also talked to one of the military security officers accompanying him, a man named Ayman from Menoufia Governorate. El-Sisi asked him about his job, which he maintained while studying.
“Do you need anything, Ayman? I’m like your father, no need to be shy,” the president told him.
Ayman, who also runs a library from a rented property, replied that he wanted a job after completing his military service, and would like to rent a large store on a main street in order to increase his revenue.
El-Sisi then offered to personally buy him a commercial property of his choice.
During the 2016 Eid Al-Fitr holiday, the president toured the Maamoura area in Alexandria wearing a sports outfit, and in the same year, took part in a sports day that included a cycling marathon.
The leader also attended a cycling marathon in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement, in which he accompanied students of the local police academy.
And during the second edition of the World Youth Forum in 2018, El-Sisi was spotted cycling around Sharm El-Sheikh at dawn.
Egyptian leader turning to ‘pedal power’ to interact with public
https://arab.news/9p5yt
Egyptian leader turning to ‘pedal power’ to interact with public
- El-Sisi's public cycling tours have become a tradition, beginning in 2014 during his bid for presidency
- Three videos of the leader riding and talking to citizens have gone viral online in the past few days
Israel PM holds coalition meeting after objecting to Gaza panel
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory panel
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his ruling coalition partners on Sunday after objecting to the composition of a Gaza advisory panel formed by the White House, according to an official and media reports.
The White House announced this week the setting up of a “Gaza Executive Board,” which would operate under a broader “Board of Peace” to be chaired by US President Donald Trump as part of his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.
The executive board, described as having an advisory role, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, alongside other regional and international officials.
Late on Saturday, Netanyahu’s office objected to the composition of the executive board.
“The announcement regarding the composition of the Gaza Executive Board, which is subordinate to the Board of Peace, was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” the office of Netanyahu said.
“The Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to contact the US Secretary of State on this matter.”
It did not explain the reason for its objection, but Israel has previously objected strongly to any Turkish role in post-war Gaza, with relations between the two countries deteriorating sharply since the war began in October 2023.
In addition to naming Turkiye’s foreign minister to the executive board, Trump has also invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join the overarching Board of Peace.
Media reports said that leaders of the country’s ruling coalition were scheduled to meet on Sunday to examine the composition of the executive board.
“There is a meeting scheduled of the coalition at 10:00 am (0800 GMT),” the spokesman of Netanyahu’s Likud Party told AFP, declining to provide further details.
Alongside Likud, the coalition includes the Religious Zionist Party led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The White House said Trump’s plan would include three bodies: the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump; a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing Gaza; and the Gaza Executive Board, which would play an advisory role.
The Palestinian technocratic committee held its first meeting in Cairo on Saturday.
The diplomatic developments came as the United States said this week that the Gaza truce plan had entered a second phase, shifting from implementing a ceasefire to the disarmament of Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
