Israeli town names square after former Egyptian president

A town in northern Israel has decided to name a newly built roundabout after former Egyptian President Gamal Abd al-Nasser.

The council in charge of the majority Palestinian town of Kafr Manda, north of Nazareth, is set to honour Nasser, who led Egypt to war against Israel twice. The move has stirred controversy and sparked a petition to withdraw the decision a re-name it "peace square" instead.

"This could cause controversy and, God forbid, create a rift between the local residents," said Sheikh Fathi Zidan, the local head of the Islamist Movement.

Some residents oppose the naming because they believe Nasser wronged many Egyptians, and was responsible for the killing of Sayyid Qutb, a leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

One member of the left-wing political party Hadash told Ynetnews: "We believe Nasser was a brave and strong leader. He's a man who brought honour back to his people and unified them.

"We want our children to learn about the nobility he left us with and we want to remember him as a just and trustworthy leader, who sacrificed so much of his life for justice."

Nasser was the second president of Egypt, serving from 1956 until his death. He had been a leader of the 1952 Egyptian revolution against the monarchy.

He led his country to war against Israel in 1956 and 1967, which led to Israel capturing the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.