![An Egyptian soldier stands guard on a watch tower on the border between Israel and Egypt, some 30 km (19 miles) north of Eilat, November 29, 2010. Last week Israel began work to construct a barrier to seal off part of the border with Egypt's Sinai desert from where many of the migrants enter the Jewish state. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXV7JY](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTXV7JY.jpg/RTXV7JY.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=JPvUIT7z)
Nervana Mahmoud is a blogger and writer on Middle East issues. On Twitter: @Nervana_1
![An Egyptian soldier stands guard on a watch tower on the border between Israel and Egypt, some 30 km (19 miles) north of Eilat, November 29, 2010. Last week Israel began work to construct a barrier to seal off part of the border with Egypt's Sinai desert from where many of the migrants enter the Jewish state. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXV7JY](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTXV7JY.jpg/RTXV7JY.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=JPvUIT7z)
![Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presides over a meeting with Palestinian leadership in the West Bank city of Ramallah August 26, 2014. Israel has accepted an Egyptian proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday. Egyptian and Palestinian officials said the truce was to take effect at 7 pm (1600 GMT). REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR43V6J](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/08/RTR43V6J.jpg/RTR43V6J.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=atUdRU5P)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Egypt's leftist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi speaks during a rally in Banha, northwest of Cairo May 7, 2014. Egyptians will vote in presidential elections on May 26 and 27. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3O71Q](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3O71Q.jpg/RTR3O71Q.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=jasElaA1)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Supporters of Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hold a poster of him in Tahrir square in Cairo, on the third anniversary of Egypt's uprising, January 25, 2014. The death toll from clashes during protests in Egypt on Saturday climbed to 29, state television quoted a health ministry official as saying. The fighting erupted on the third anniversary of the popular uprising which toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Security forces fought opponents of the army-backed government which replaced Islamist P](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/03/RTX17U9W.jpg/RTX17U9W.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=8Y7hJttH)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh (C) visits people outside a polling station during the presidential elections in Cairo May 23, 2012. Egyptians relished their first free leadership vote on Wednesday, with Islamists pitted against secular figures in a contest unthinkable before a popular revolt swept President Hosni Mubarak from power 15 months ago. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR32INP](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/02/RTR32INP.jpg/RTR32INP.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=9XS4fbKY)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![A man stands on a bridge where huge posters of Egypt's Army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are hanged in central Cairo February 3, 2014. Egypt is pushing ahead with an army-backed plan for political transition, with presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place within months. Sisi is widely expected to announce his presidential bid and win easily. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX186DU](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/02/RTX186DU-1.jpg/RTX186DU-1.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=48Doykxz)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![A man dips his finger in ink, as he holds a flyer from the Salafi political party Al-Nour, after casting his vote at a polling station in Toukh, El-Kalubia governorate about 25 km (16 miles) northeast of Cairo January 3, 2012. Egyptians voted in the third round of a parliamentary election on Tuesday that has so far handed Islamists the biggest share of seats in an assembly that will be central in the planned transition from army rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR2VUMG](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/01/RTR2VUMG.jpg/RTR2VUMG.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=AwmziCZO)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![RabaaTV.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/12/RabaaTV.jpg/RabaaTV.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=D8pgCz3_)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Egyptians hold pictures of Egypt's Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a protest against what they say is Qatar's backing of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi's government, outside the Qatari Embassy in Cairo, December 6, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX167E8](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/12/sisi.jpg/sisi.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=TVYBaWnN)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Supporters of the military hold a banner of Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi outside the Egyptian High Court in Cairo November 4, 2013. Ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi struck a defiant tone on the first day of his trial on Monday, chanting 'Down with military rule', and calling himself the country's only 'legitimate' president. Mursi, an Islamist who was toppled by the army in July after mass protests against him, appeared angry and interrupted the session repeatedly, prompting a judge to adj](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/11/RTX14ZLO-1.jpg/RTX14ZLO-1.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=Xuiv6wbd)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser (1918 - 1970) takes his guest, Soviet premier Nikita S. Khrushchev (1894 - 1971) on a tour of the ancient Temple of Luxor, following a visit to the Aswan Dam, 21st May 1964. Accompanying them are President Ahmed Ben Bella of Algeria (left) and President Abdul Salam Arif (1921 - 1966) of Iraq. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/11/NasserKhruschev.jpg/NasserKhruschev.jpg?h=6c6b25af&itok=_ea89UHT)
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Nervana Mahmoud
![Military helicopters are seen flying over while people gather at Tahrir Square to celebrate the anniversary of an attack on Israeli forces during the 1973 war, in Cairo October 6, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY MILITARY) - RTR3FNYZ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/10/egyptcopter.jpg/egyptcopter.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=S9ckJbaI)
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Nervana Mahmoud