Egypt placed itself firmly in the middle of the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinians on Sunday, when Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry arrived in Jerusalem and said before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Egyptian leadership is “serious” in its determination to “provide all possible forms of support” toward reaching the goal of a two-state solution. It teaches about the change that has come over Israel-Egypt relations, including President Al-Sisi’s important call to advance the peace process with both the Palestinians and Arab countries.
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El-Sissi recently made a high-profile speech calling for a resumption of efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians and also others in the region.
Shoukry will visit Israel Sunday, July 10, 2016, in the first such visit in almost a decade.
“Today’s visit is important from many points of view”.
Shoukry will also focus on ways to activate the worldwide resolutions and previous agreements to build trust between the Israelis and the Palestinians as a step towards reviving the peace talks.
Egypt was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel.
Since the breakdown of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in April 2014, he said, the situation has been constantly deteriorating on all level: humanitarian, economic and security.
Neither Israeli nor Palestinian representatives were invited to the talks in the French capital which are aimed at laying the ground for a fully-fledged peace conference to be held by the end of the year.
Israel strongly opposes that initiative, which is being promoted by France.
The Israeli prime minister said back then that he could consider the Arab peace initiative introduced in 2002 before saying that it would require amendments.
Relations between the two countries, however, remain a sensitive issue in public opinion and the Egyptian media. The Arab League has said the terms can not be changed.
Violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.
Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
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Major General Yair Golan said “there is a strong feeling in the region… that we have to put aside past animosities and concentrate on mutual interests and working together” to deal with the jihadist threat.
