Haniyeh: Egypt-Hamas relations strong

Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday that efforts to sabotage relations between Hamas and Cairo would fail. "Hamas will remain a protecting shield of Egypt and all attempts to drive a wedge between Palestine and Egypt will fail," Haniyeh said. Speaking at a conference on the Arab Spring, organized by a student bloc affiliated to Hamas, Haniyeh said Palestine encouraged Arab countries during their revolutions. "It is not strange to link Jerusalem with the Arab revolutions because Palestine is the one the main engines of the revolutions," Haniyeh said. Palestinians are hopeful of the Arab youth but concerned by efforts to counter the revolutions, particularly in Egypt, the Hamas premier said. He said Arab revolutions faced external interference, and that the West and the US were seeking influence in uprisings which they could not dominate. Haniyeh urged the Arab youth to protect the achievements of their revolutions.