Solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will make the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel “warmer”, the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said on Tuesday, adding that Egypt is ready to mediate to end the conflict.
“If we are able to solve the issue of our Palestinian brothers it will achieve warmer peace … I ask that the Israeli leadership allow this speech to be broadcast in Hebrew one or two times as this is a genuine opportunity,” Al-Sisi said in speech at the launch of infrastructure projects in Assuit.
“I say to our Palestinian brothers, you must unite the different factions in order to achieve reconciliation, and quickly. We, as Egypt, are prepared to take on this role. It is a real opportunity to find a long-awaited solution,” he added.
Al-Sisi’s comments came during the official inauguration of the Assiut power plant on Tuesday, while asserting its fundamental role in serving developmental projects in the country. Al-Sisi also related developments in the electricity sectors to the planned improvements to the housing sector, as the plant is expected to produce 500 MW. The president also highlighted the short time of completing the project as an “achievement”.
The Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Gamal El-Shoubaky praised Al-Sisi’s declarations in a statement, saying that the Egyptian and Palestinian president have crystallised one strategic vision to end the occupation and launch the Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, the French president François Hollande said on Tuesday that the international peace conference that was scheduled to be held in May will be postponed until later this summer.
Hollande added that the US secretary of state John Kerry will be busy on 30 May.
“This initiative is necessary because if nothing happens, if there is no strong French initiative, then colonisation, attacks, terrorist attacks, and several conflicts are going to continue,” he said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault earlier that Israel still opposes holding an international conference on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
“I told him the only way to advance genuine peace between us and the Palestinians is through direct negotiations between us and them, without preconditions,” said Netanyahu.
The Israeli side seems to be afraid of any international intervention that may dictate terms.
Earlier this year, the French government began efforts to host an international conference planned for this summer to restore peace talks between Palestinian and Israeli authorities. It also vowed to recognise a Palestinian state if peace talks failed.
Peace talks stalled following the collapse of a US-led initiative two years ago.
