Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz announced on Friday that the kingdom supports Egypt in its fight “against terrorism.”
King Abdullah said Egypt’s stability is being targeted by “haters,” warning that anyone interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs is "igniting sedition." King Abdullah added that Egypt is able to cross to safety.
The Egyptian presidency hailed King Abdullah’s support, saying Egypt will “never” forget his “historic stance.”
Both Jordan and the UAE also praised King Abdullah’s support for the Egyptian government.
Saleh al-Qallab, a Jordanian political analyst, told Al Arabiya that Saudi Arabia will not leave the Egyptian military alone. “The situation in Egypt is very critical and Saudi Arabia has put itself on the right side of history,” he said.
Qallab added that King Abdullah had to “take a historical step and side with the correct form of Islam.”
Other analysts see that the King’s speech is ‘directed against the blatant Western support of the Muslim Brotherhood’, adding that the World’s powers should leave Egyptians to solve their own affairs.
Abdul Latif Minawi, an Egyptian columnist and former head of Egypt’s state TV, said the Saudi position comes in response to “Western positions, which are difficult to understand.”
“If Western leaders plan to repeat the Libyan scenario in Egypt, this will not be achieved in Egypt,” Minawi said.
He said “various Western interests come together in this situation to ensure the collapse of Egypt.”
“The Saudi position is another stance that understands where the regional interests lie,” Menawi said.
The statements of King Abdullah came after several Western countries and Turkey threatened to suspend ties with Egypt over a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
Turkey had summoned its ambassador to Egypt pushed for a U.N. Security Council meeting to be held yesterday over the situation in the Arab world’s biggest nation.
The United States cancelled a joint military drill with the Egyptian armed forces. It also warned that the traditional military ties with the Egypt are at risk if the violence continues there.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after speaking with French President Francois Hollande by phone on Friday that Germany would review its ties with Egypt, and both she and Hollande felt the European Union should do the same, Reuters reported.
“The chancellor explained that in view of the latest developments, the German government would review its relations with Egypt,” Merkel said, according to Reuters.
Violence between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and Egypt’s security forces renewed on Friday with tens of people reported killed nationwide.