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Egypt’s FM makes rare Israel visit to discuss peace prospects
Egypt’s Foreign Minister made a surprise visit to Israel yesterday, becoming the first senior Egyptian minister to visit the country in nine years.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who met with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas two weeks ago, met Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for two hours in Jerusalem, prior to a dinner at Netanyahu’s official residence.
Netanyahu said: “I welcome President al-Sisi’s recent offer of Egyptian leadership in efforts to advance peace with the Palestinians and a broader peace in our region.”
He added: “Today I call again on the Palestinians to follow the courageous example of Egypt and Jordan and join us for direct negotiations. This is the only way we can address all the outstanding problems between us.”
Shoukry described his visit to Jerusalem as “a continuation of Egypt’s longstanding sense of responsibility towards peace for itself and all the people of the region, particularly the Palestinians and the Israeli people”. He said that the current state of affairs “is neither stable nor sustainable” and declared that “the vision of the two-state solution is not far-fetched”.
Shoukry added that a peace settlement would be “a monumental achievement” with “far-reaching, dramatic and positive impact on the overall conditions in the Middle East region”.
In addition to peace prospects, it is thought that Netanyahu raised the issue of returning the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and two Israeli citizens thought to be alive, currently in the hands of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, there is also speculation that Netanyahu may be planning a trip to Egypt’s capital Cairo.
Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 and although relations have been typically cold since then, under the leadership of Egyptian President al-Sisi, bilateral relations have strengthened significantly. In May, al-Sisi made a surprising public plea for Israel and the Palestinians to renew peace talks in the context of brokering a wider regional peace. Netanyahu immediately endorsed al-Sisi’s initiative.