Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met, on Monday, with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in Sharm El-Sheikh, where the two sides discussed ways to revive the peace process between Palestine and Israel.
President Al-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s support to all efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution and in accordance with international legitimacy, which would contribute to enhancing security and prosperity of all the peoples of the region.
The meeting was also attended by Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Chief of General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel.
This was the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister since 2011, in bid to revive peace talks, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Both leaders discussed developments in bilateral relations in various fields, as well as developments on the regional and international arenas, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue.
During the meeting, Al-Sisi referred to the “importance of the international community’s support for Egypt’s efforts to rebuild the Palestinian territories, in addition to the need to maintain calmness between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, especially with Egypt’s continuous moves to reduce tension between the two sides in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”
For his part, Bennett said, “The meeting was very important and very good. During the meeting, we established deep, strong, and continuous relations.We discussed a range of political, security and economic issues, and ways to deepen the relationship and promote common interests.”
Al-Sisi and Bennett’s talks come a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stated the importance of the Egyptian role in his proposal for a settlement plan in Gaza according to the formula “improving conditions in the Strip economically in exchange for Israel’s security.”
“This will not happen without the support and involvement of our Egyptian partners, and without their ability to talk to all the parties involved,” Lapid said.
Cairo played a vital role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in May after an 11-day escalation that resulted in severe damage and deaths in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“This will not happen without the support and engagement of our Egyptian partners, and without their ability to talk to all the parties involved,” Lapid said.
Since 1979, Egypt has had a peace treaty with Israel and often mediates between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Cairo also works on uniting Palestinian factions by hosting rounds of dialogue between Hamas and Fatah movements.
