On Monday the Egyptian Parliament approved, by the constitutionally required two-thirds majority, a mandate granting President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi authority to take the “necessary measures” to support and defend Saudi Arabia. In a statement, the House of Representatives said the measures would be taken in coordination with Riyadh and aimed at “defending the kingdom’s territory, sovereignty and holy sites against any external aggression,” reported Al Ahram. The vote came after three days of closed-door sessions during which a large number of members of the parliament, regardless of party affiliation, were given “the opportunity to express their views on the course of the sensitive regional situation, the repercussions now unfolding in the region, and their implications for Egyptian and Arab national security.”