Palestinian leader mistakes Morsi for Mubarak

CAIRO — Awkward.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas mixed up the names of Egypt’s democratically elected president and his ousted authoritarian predecessor when he tried to thank his hosts at an Islamic summit in Cairo on Wednesday.

Abbas intended to thank Egypt for supporting the Palestinian cause. He began by saying “President Mohammed Hosni” then stopped short and corrected himself to say “Mohammed Morsi.” Morsi remained mostly stone faced during the gaffe except for a slight movement of the mouth that hinted at disapproval.

Morsi frequently mentions that he is Egypt’s first freely elected leader after the 2011 uprising that ended nearly three decades of Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian rule.