20100606
Reuters

An Egyptian High Administrative court ordered on Saturday the government to consider revoking citizenship from Egyptians married to Israelis if the marriage poses a threat to Egypt's national security.

"The court asks the Ministry of Interior to present all the marriages to the cabinet to examine... Each case should be investigated separately and with consideration to personal freedoms and nation's security," Judge Mohamed al-Husseinay said.

The verdict shows a twist in Egypt's relationship with Israel that had maintained strong diplomatic and economic ties since they made peace 30 years ago after they fought four wars from 1948 to 1973.

Egypt has last week opened its Rafah border for unlimited time to allow aid convoys into the coastal strip -- a move widely seen as an attempt to deflect criticism of its role in the blockade.

It is known that Cairo coordinates with Israel on limited crossing of the border since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.

A permanent opening would be a boost for Islamist Hamas, which shares roots with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, and a blow to efforts by Israel and its Western allies to cripple them.

Today's court had in February gave the Egyptian government legal clearance to allow natural gas exports to Israel, cancelling a lower court's verdict to stop exports.

"The government is so strange. It says it is a friend of Israel... The president congratulates Israeli's president in national holidays yet it punishes the people for having relationships with Israel," Negad al-Borai, lawyer and a rights' activist said.

The case started last year by a lawyer who filed the lawsuit against the Ministry of Interior at a first degree court and got a ruling in his favour. But the ministry appealed and today's court rejected the appeal and approved the first ruling.

"I am so surprised with the verdict. The Egyptian law says citizenship can only be revoked if the citizen was proven to be spying on his country and this verdict considers marrying an Israeli a spying action, al-Borai said.