Addressing the summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Doha, President Seyed Mohammad Khatami strongly appealed to the heads of state to cut all relations with Israel.
At the OIC Summit the head of the Egyptian delegation maintained that his country would not sever diplomatic ties with Israel.
President Khatami's statement received appreciation by all the delegates and Muslims elsewhere in the world.
However, at the same time, Khatami's Chief of Staff Mohammad-Ali Abtahi commented on the importance of Egypt and predicted that relations between Tehran and Cairo will "improve".
Praising the historical importance of Egypt, Abtahi referred to the many common factors existing between Iran and Egypt and voiced the opinion that "better ties between the two countries would be in the interest of the Islamic world".
Political experts voiced surprise as to why Iran could improve ties with Egypt while that country is still very friendly with Israel.
Abtahi simply disregarded the fact that Egypt was the first Muslim country to ignore unprecedented sacrifices of Palestinians and Arabs for the liberation of their homeland, and signed the so-called peace accord.
Khatami's chief of staff also forgot it was Egypt that granted political asylum to the despotic Shah whose brutal rule suppressed the Muslim movement and whose infamous secret police SAVAK tortured revolutionary figures.
Moreover, it was the Founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, who ordered to break diplomatic relations with Egypt. Because Anwar Sadat's regime signed an agreement with the Zionist entity.
We have no problem with the Egyptian people.
We expect Mr. Abtahi to explain his opinion.