Sisi affirms to Israeli PM Egypt’s support to efforts to achieve peace in Middle East based on two-state solution

CAIRO – 13 September 2021: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Monday Egypt’s support to all efforts to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.

This comes as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where they held bilateral discussions, a statement by the Egyptian Presidency read.

Sisi received Bennett with the attendance of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, chief of the General Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel as well as Eyal Hulata, the head of Israel’s National Security Council, Israeli premier’s senior aide Shimrit Meir and Israeli ambassador to Cairo Amira Oron.

Sisi affirmed Egypt’s support to such efforts in the Middle East in a way that contributes to enhancing security and prosperity for all countries of the region, the statement read.

During the meeting, the Egyptian president also underlined the need for the international community to support Egypt’s efforts regarding reconstruction in the Palestinian lands.

Sisi also affirmed the necessity to maintain calm between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, especially in light of Egypt’s continuous efforts to ease tensions between the two sides in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the statement read.

The bilateral consultations addressed developments of bilateral relations between Egypt and Israeli in all fields.

They also discussed developments of the situation on the regional and international levels, especially regarding the Palestinian cause.

Intelligence chief visits, Egyptian steps

Last August, Egypt's GIS head Abbas Kamel met with Bennett and his national security advisor. The meeting came as part of Kamel’s visit to the Palestinian and Israeli lands as per the directives of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The meeting discussed the Egyptian efforts to advance the peace process and the procedures to maintain de-escalation in all the Palestinian lands, an official statement read.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments of the Egyptian-Israeli relations.

Kamel also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

 

Late in May, Israel and the Gaza factions started a ceasefire proposed by Egypt after Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire killed 254 Palestinian people, including women and children.

The Gaza factions also fired rockets at Israeli lands in retaliation for the Israeli assaults against Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Sisi also in May announced allocating $500 million for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

On the first day of an earlier visit in May, Kamel met with Palestinian President Abbas, Israel's then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Later, he inspected the proposed sites to begin the reconstruction initiative of Gaza strip and met with a number of leaders from Hamas.

Phone call with Israeli president

Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier in September hailed Egypt’s role in achieving peace and security in the region held a phone call with Sisi.

Sisi and Herzong discussed efforts to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, a statement by the Egyptian Presidency read.

Isaac Herzog, former Labor party leader, took office as the 11th president of Israel last July, succeeding Reuven Rivlin.

During the phone call, Sisi congratulated Herzog for assuming his new post and greeted him on the occasion of the Jewish New Year, the presidential statement read.

Herzog expressed appreciation of Sisi’s greetings.

Sisi and Herzog discussed bilateration relations and issues of mutual concern in light of the dangers surrounding the region, the statement read.

Trilateral summit

The phone call comes few days after Sisi hosted in Cairo an Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian summit that the need for concerted efforts along with partners to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

 

The summit involved President Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

Sisi during the summit highlighted the importance of resuming the negotiations in accordance with the international legitimacy resolutions, Presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said.

This comes given the grave consequences of not resolving the Palestinian cause on the security and stability of the entire region, Radi added.

During the summit, Sisi affirmed the need to work to achieve all the legitimate rights, hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people.

The Egyptian president explained the country’s vision on how to revive the peace process, the consolidation of the truce in the Gaza Strip and the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip.

Achieving the Palestinian people’s hopes for an independent state will come only through uniting the Palestinian ranks and ending the long-standing division between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Sisi said.