Latest news with #DiaaRashwan
Egypt Today
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Palestinian Cause is at forefront of Arab attention with unprecedented consensus, Diaa Rashwan
CAIRO – 6 May 2025: Head of the State Information Service Diaa Rashwan, said that the Palestinian cause enjoys unprecedented Arab consensus as a major and central issue. During his participation in the 'Listen and Talk' forum organized by Al-Azhar Observatory on Tuesday, he explained that the sacrifices of the people of Gaza refuted claims of abandoning their land. He noted that the Zionist aggression did not stop in Gaza recently, but extended to Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Director of the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, Mohamed Kamal, also explained in his statements that traditional Western media has adopted the Zionist narrative since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza. He added that Some newspapers issued guidelines to their writers to support this narrative, deepening the misinformation surrounding the Palestinian cause. This bias has provoked strong reactions from young people in the United States and Europe, who demonstrated at prestigious universities in defense of human rights and in rejection of double standards. Kamal explained that youth movements reflect a growing awareness of the importance of justice, praising the role of platforms and forums such as the "Listen and Talk" forum in empowering Arab youth to confront misinformation through digital media. This aligns with Al-Azhar's commitment to promoting awareness of just causes such as the Palestinian cause. Al-Azhar Observatory launched, Tuesday, the 4th edition of the 'Listen and Talk' forum, attended by a number of ministers and officials. This year's edition focused on civil and volunteer work and its role in combating extremism, along with the youth's role in spreading awareness about the Palestinian cause in the age of digital media and combating the phenomenon of misinformation through enhancing community awareness. Director of the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism, Reham Abdullah confirmed that the observatory was established in 2015 under the supervision of Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb, with the aim of protecting youth from extremism and terrorism.
Egypt Today
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
SIS Head: Egypt supports for legitimate rights of Palestinians
The head of the State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan- File CAIRO – 19 April 2025: The head of the State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan, affirmed Egypt's support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to establish an independent state. In an interview with Al-Qahera News Channel on Friday evening, he stated, 'Egypt is committed to defending its national security and the Palestinian cause.' He added, 'Egyptian-Qatari efforts are grounded in truth, justice, international legitimacy, and the rights of the Palestinian people.' He emphasized that 'Egyptian efforts are focused on reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip,' adding that 'Cairo is making strenuous efforts to uphold the ceasefire agreement at all stages.' Rashwan revealed the scale of Egypt's unprecedented efforts to support the Gaza Strip. He stated that Egypt has received 105,000 Palestinians— including the injured, the wounded, and those suffering from chronic illnesses— and has provided them with medical care across approximately 100 Egyptian hospitals. Rashwan also noted that Egypt has supplied up to 75% of the total humanitarian aid entering Gaza, with thousands of trucks carrying food and medical supplies having crossed the Rafah crossing since the onset of the crisis. He highlighted Egypt's historical role as a key partner in the Palestinian cause, noting that Cairo has served as a meeting place for Palestinian factions over the past decades. He emphasized that Egypt remains "the Arab element most capable of mobilizing within Palestinian circles," owing to its experience and regional influence. Diaa Rashwan stated that Egypt's signing of the peace treaty with Israel in 1979, following five wars, marked a significant strategic shift that positioned Cairo as a key player in the conflict. He added that the treaty not only served Egypt's interests but also established a broader regional framework in which Cairo balanced Palestinian rights with regional security concerns.
Egypt Today
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
SIS head: Egypt represents Africa's voice in int'l forums, prioritizes continent's needs
Africa map - file CAIRO - 15 April 2025: Head of the State Information Service (SIS), Journalist Diaa Rashwan emphasized that Egypt's return to its pivotal and effective role on the African scene over the past ten years has proven that there is no alternative to Egypt's role in the continent, despite the growing international competition for influence in Africa. Rashwan added that Egypt is part of Africa's shared geography and history, and bears a responsibility and mission towards its peoples and countries, which has led it to place the continent's interests at the top of Egypt's priorities. He pointed out that African peoples appreciate Egypt's position and look forward to further cooperation with it, which motivates continued Egyptian efforts for the common present and future of the continent's peoples. The SIS Chairman explained that Egypt has recognized Africa's needs and has placed achieving stability across the continent at the top of its priorities, followed by development and catching up with global progress. He noted that Cairo continues its efforts at the global, regional, and bilateral levels to achieve these two goals. Rashwan pointed out that Egypt represents Africa's voice in international forums, especially after it regained its international standing. "Egypt has been keen to speak on behalf of the continent at the United Nations and its organizations, and in international gatherings such as BRICS, which Egypt joined in 2024, and the Group of Eight (G8), whose summit Egypt hosted last December," he added. In the same context, Rashwan stressed that Egypt seeks to contain crises and conflicts in the Middle East and prevent them from spilling over into Africa. He emphasized that the security of the two continents is intertwined, particularly in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean regions. He also noted the ongoing coordination between Egypt and South Africa, pointing to the fruitful meeting between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, which confirmed the convergence of visions between the two countries regarding achieving peace and development on the continent. He added that Egypt is contributing its expertise and the efforts of its people to the implementation of dozens of projects in African countries, in addition to its support for human development and capacity-building programs in various fields, such as health, education, irrigation, agriculture, industry, security, administration, and diplomacy.
Egypt Today
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
SIS head: Egypt, Qatar doing everything possible to support Palestinian cause
Head of the State Information Service (SIS) Journalist Diaa Rashwan - file CAIRO - 15 April 2025: Head of the State Information Service (SIS) Journalist Diaa Rashwan, said in a Monday interview with Al-Qahera News TV Channel that Egypt and Qatar are constantly doing everything possible to advance the Palestinian cause. Rashwan added that US President Donald Trump appears to want to visit the region after the war in Gaza ends. Rashwan also said that Trump knows that difficult negotiations are underway regarding Gaza and that the Israelis are raising the ceiling of their demands. SIS head further added that the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza will witness a positive shift due to the significant efforts made by Egypt and Qatar. He continued that since the renewed aggression on Gaza, Trump has given Netanyahu ample opportunity to release the detainees, and that this deadline is now coming to an end. 'Hamas knows the value of time and believes its response to the Israeli proposal will be swift,' he added. He went on explaining that by negotiating with Iran now, Trump is doing what no previous US president has done. 'The Egyptian-Qatari mediation is biased toward the international law, legitimate rights, and international legitimacy resolutions,' Diaa Rashwan said. He added, "The Israeli side was keen to submit its proposals this time, and I believe this is related to a timing issue on the Israeli side related to President Donald Trump's intention to visit the region next month." Rashwan added, in a phone call with Amr Khalil, host of the program "From Egypt," broadcast on Al-Qahera News Channel, "It appears that Netanyahu's recent visit to the United States presents an unprecedented problem, one that was not present during the first reception in Washington." He said, "It seems to me that Trump wants to come to the region after the war has ended, and Netanyahu is raising demands to the maximum level, which may not be possible to achieve them. However, this is a means of negotiation. Therefore, I believe that the new Israeli conditions are more an expression of a crisis than of superiority.' 'The mediators are aware of these dimensions, and that we are now in a real phase. Trump knows that there are difficult negotiations ahead and that the Israeli side will raise its demands to a level that may seem unreasonable or illogical. However, with the tireless Egyptian-Qatari efforts, things will take a more positive turn,' Rashwan continued. Regarding his expected response from Hamas to the Israeli proposal conveyed by mediators regarding a ceasefire, Diaa Rashwan said"A short while ago, they [Hamas Movement] said they would respond. They [Hamas Movement] know the value of time, and I believe their response to the Israeli proposal will be swift, and there will be something the mediators, whose efforts have not ceased, can do." BY Et staff CAIRO - 15 April 2025: Head of the State Information Service (SIS) Journalist Diaa Rashwan, said in a Monday interview with Al-Qahera News TV Channel that Egypt and Qatar are constantly doing everything possible to advance the Palestinian cause. Rashwan added that US President Donald Trump appears to want to visit the region after the war in Gaza ends. Rashwan also said that Trump knows that difficult negotiations are underway regarding Gaza and that the Israelis are raising the ceiling of their demands. SIS head further added that the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza will witness a positive shift due to the significant efforts made by Egypt and Qatar. He continued that since the renewed aggression on Gaza, Trump has given Netanyahu ample opportunity to release the detainees, and that this deadline is now coming to an end. 'Hamas knows the value of time and believes its response to the Israeli proposal will be swift,' he added. He went on explaining that by negotiating with Iran now, Trump is doing what no previous US president has done. 'The Egyptian-Qatari mediation is biased toward the international law, legitimate rights, and international legitimacy resolutions,' Diaa Rashwan said. He added, "The Israeli side was keen to submit its proposals this time, and I believe this is related to a timing issue on the Israeli side related to President Donald Trump's intention to visit the region next month." Rashwan added, in a phone call with Amr Khalil, host of the program "From Egypt," broadcast on Al-Qahera News Channel, "It appears that Netanyahu's recent visit to the United States presents an unprecedented problem, one that was not present during the first reception in Washington." He said, "It seems to me that Trump wants to come to the region after the war has ended, and Netanyahu is raising demands to the maximum level, which may not be possible to achieve them. However, this is a means of negotiation. Therefore, I believe that the new Israeli conditions are more an expression of a crisis than of superiority.' 'The mediators are aware of these dimensions, and that we are now in a real phase. Trump knows that there are difficult negotiations ahead and that the Israeli side will raise its demands to a level that may seem unreasonable or illogical. However, with the tireless Egyptian-Qatari efforts, things will take a more positive turn,' Rashwan continued. Regarding his expected response from Hamas to the Israeli proposal conveyed by mediators regarding a ceasefire, Diaa Rashwan said"A short while ago, they [Hamas Movement] said they would respond. They [Hamas Movement] know the value of time, and I believe their response to the Israeli proposal will be swift, and there will be something the mediators, whose efforts have not ceased, can do."
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-02-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
New work for the National Dialogue - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
A new package of economic and political reforms has been agreed by the government and the administration of the National Dialogue, which begins a new round of work this week The Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue will kick off a new round of sessions to address various political, economic, and social challenges, Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service (SIS), announced this week. Rashwan's announcement came after Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli met the National Dialogue's 19-member Board of Trustees on 6 February. Madbouli said the challenges facing Egypt require that the National Dialogue hold a new round of sessions to discuss them. There is also a directive from President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to expand the scope of the National Dialogue to discuss a number of internal and external challenges and consult with the government on how to address them, Madbouli said. 'We fully appreciate the role the National Dialogue played in crystallising political, economic, and social reforms in the recent period, but we need this role to continue to include various segments of Egyptian society, including opposition figures, and to reach consensus on issues that concern Egypt,' he stated. Egypt is experiencing important challenges in a period in which the world is witnessing unprecedented challenges, Madbouli said. 'We want the National Dialogue to help the government to explore public opinion on these challenges, including Israel's plan to relocate the Palestinians to Egypt,' he added. The government is doing everything possible to contain any escalation and ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, Madbouli said. The National Dialogue and the government should also discuss a number of internal issues, such as proposals to scrap in-kind welfare subsidies in favour of cash receipts, introduce a new high school exam system (the Baccalaureate), and amend the rent law and others, he said. He said that many recommendations from the first round of the National Dialogue in the economic field were adopted in the government's policy statement delivered before parliament last July, while the remaining recommendations are being studied before being implemented. A case in point is that a new social protection package will be announced in the coming days. 'We will officially know the ins and outs of the new social protection package within a few days, and it will come into effect before the holy month of Ramadan, while another package of minimum wage hikes and pension increases will come into effect starting in the next fiscal year, which starts in July,' Madbouli said. He asked the dialogue's Board of Trustees to submit a report including all its recommendations, what was implemented and what was not and why. He also asked the board to identify the most important priorities in the legislative and political agenda in the coming phase to move to implement them immediately. Rashwan said a meeting between Madbouli, members of the National Dialogue's economic committees, and cabinet ministers in charge of economic portfolios will be held soon to review the recommendations that came out of the first round of the National Dialogue and see why some were implemented and others were not. He said that the last quarter of this year will witness various political developments, the most important of which is the holding of elections to choose a new House of Representatives and Senate. 'There are a number of legislative reforms that the National Dialogue has submitted to the government in this respect, such as amending the law on the exercise of political rights and the law on civil work, as well as some procedures related to press and academic freedoms,' Rashwan said. He explained that the National Dialogue's Board of Trustees had devoted its last two sessions to discussing the security developments in the Gaza Strip and Israel's plan to forcibly displace the Palestinians from their land. 'We stand with the government and the political leadership in their firm rejection of any displacement plans,' Rashwan said. According to Rashwan, the meeting with Madbouli has also discussed the prisoner pardon initiative, which was among the recommendations of the National Dialogue's Board of Trustees, describing it as an important step that confirms the state's desire to continue to improve the human-rights situation in Egypt. 'But we need more in this direction, as we hope that more political prisoners will be released in the coming stage,' Rashwan said. He announced on Saturday that four new public figures will join the National Dialogue's Board of Trustees to enhance its role in society and ensure a broader representation of all political and other forces. The new members are Ashraf Al-Sheehi, a former minister of higher education and scientific research and a member of Homat Watan (Protectors of the Land) Party, Ihab Al-Tamawi, deputy chairman of parliament's Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, Diaaeddin Dawoud, a leftist-oriented MP, and Amr Hamzawy, a professor of political science. The first round of the National Dialogue led to building bridges of trust and creating common ground between the government and various political forces, said Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Mahmoud Fawzi. Fawzi indicated that the National Dialogue's committees now include representatives of 65 parties, and that now there is no political faction that does not have a representative in the National Dialogue, making it reflect the political spectrum. Some 256 recommendations were issued by the National Dialogue after holding 110 sessions attended by thousands of participants, with the aim of presenting different visions of political, economic, and social issues, Fawzi recalled. The first phase of the National Dialogue's sessions achieved positive results, particularly in the human-rights field, Amr Hamzawy, a newly-appointed member of the Board of Trustees, said. Hamzawy said in statements to the media that the second phase of the dialogue should focus on coordinating with the government on the implementation of political reforms. 'These reforms include amendments to the laws on the exercise of political rights, political parties, parliamentary elections, and local administration,' he said. 'Today, we have a real opportunity to find radical solutions to achieve permanent stability and ensure the cohesion of the internal front against foreign threats by implementing the recommendations of the National Dialogue and achieving consensus on the legislative and political priorities that must top the national agenda in the coming stage.' * A version of this article appears in print in the 13 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link:
