An Egyptian state-run TV channel has broken a media syndicate rule against recognising Israel by inviting an Israeli political analyst to discuss Sunday's fatal events in North Sinai.

The Nile News satellite channel interviewed the Israeli military expert by telephone on a Tuesday programme dealing with the aftermath of the fatal attack on Egyptian border guards near the Rafah crossing with Gaza which left 16 dead and dozens injured.

The Tel Aviv-based analyst called on Egypt and Israel to co-operate more closely to avoid future attacks, adding that Israel did not believe the attack was the work of Palestinians nor that it originated from the Gaza Strip.

The National Association for Change has severely criticised newly-appointed Information Minister Salah Abdel-Maqsoud for allowing an Israeli on Egyptian television.

The group is calling for the minister to be removed, urging the Press Syndicate of which he is a member to punish him, saying he violated one of the syndicate's general assembly decrees.

The assembly bans professional normalisation with the "Zionist entity" in any form.

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[Excerpt—See Al Ahram for full original text]