Egypt made an unprecedented move on Feb. 27 and denied entry to Palestinian politician Jibril Rajoub. Egyptian authorities stopped Rajoub, a high-level member of Fatah’s Central Committee, just as he arrived at Cairo International Airport. Rajoub was set to join a Palestinian delegation that the Arab League had invited to attend a conference on extremism and terrorism. Consequently, the Palestinian delegation, headed by Palestinian Justice Minister Ali Abu Diak, withdrew from the conference.

Egyptian Dream TV interviewed Rajoub over the phone the same day he was denied entry. He angrily said that he was not Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, and there was no reason for him to be kicked out of Egypt. He said this was a strategic mistake and that Egypt should explain itself.

Al-Monitor tried to contact Rajoub, but to no avail. The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo also refused to comment on the incident. Even Fatah spokespeople avoided criticizing Egypt, perhaps due to the sensitivity of the situation and Fatah’s unwillingness to anger a major Arab power.

Egyptian security sources told Reuters Feb. 27 that Cairo airport security denied Rajoub’s entry and ordered his deportation from Egypt. Airport officials informed him that his name was on a no-entry list, and he was immediately put on a plane to Jordan with no further explanation.