Lebanese protesters insult Egyptian president over his country’s construction of Gaza barrier

Lebanese protest Egypt’s Gaza barrier

BEIRUT — Lebanese protesters accused Egypt’s president Sunday of acting like an agent of Israel over his country’s construction of an underground steel wall along the Gaza border.

The Egyptian barrier could deprive Gaza’s Hamas rulers of their only lifeline by blocking hundreds of smuggling tunnels.

About 200 people took part in the protest near Egypt’s embassy. Crowds set fire to U.S. and Israeli flags. Some of the Israeli flags had Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s picture on them.

The protesters also carried banners depicting Mubarak as an Israeli agent, as well as portraits of the president with a Star of David on his forehead.

The Gaza barrier has angered many Arabs and Muslims. Egypt calls it a matter of national security.

Hamas’ exiled political leader, Khaled Mashaal, visited Beirut last week and urged Egypt to stop construction of the barrier, saying walls are built “between enemies, not brothers.”

Sunday’s protesters — most of them activists from leftist groups — carried banners with Mubarak’s image and the words: “At your service USA.”

Since Israel’s withdrew settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Hamas is believed to have stepped up its weapons imports considerably and Israel has struck hard at the hundreds of tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border to stop the flow of arms.

The underground passages also pose a threat to Egypt, which is increasingly concerned about an Islamic militant regime on its doorstep that could spill into its territory and incite violence.