Sameh Shoukry’s visit, the first by an Egyptian foreign minister in nine years, was a sign of a closer engagement with Israel partly driven by shared alarm and security cooperation over common regional threats that include Islamist insurgency.
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Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has flown to Israel, on Saturday, to discuss the resumption of the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinians accused Israel of reneging on a deal to free prisoners, while Israel said it would not continue negotiations after the Palestinians made a decision to bring the militant Islamist Hamas movement into a unity government.
“Ever since the cessation of negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides in April 2014, the situation on the ground has been in constant deterioration, ” he said before a work meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem July 10, 2016.
Shoukry held talks with Palestinian officials in Ramallah last month.
In a statement on Sunday, Egypt’s foreign ministry said Shoukry’s visit was part of a push by Cairo to restart peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
He says Egypt remains a supporter of a two-state solution to the conflict. The plan came days after Netanyahu approved the construction of hundreds of new homes in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, drawing a harsh rebuke from the U.S. State Department.
Since September, Palestinians have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting Americans in dozens of attacks.
Gendelman, who said the visit was requested by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, extended his welcome to Shoukry.
In a press conference with Shoukry, Netanyahu called on the Palestinians “to follow the courageous example of Egypt and Jordan and join us for direct negotiations”.
“Government offices, I must note, have all been recruited to assist the residents who stand heroically in the face of vicious terrorism”, Netanyahu said ahead of the approval.
El-Sissi recently made a high-profile speech calling for a resumption of efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel in recent weeks has also mended its ties with Turkey after more than six years of animosity, a move that cleared the way for renewed cooperation between the US allies and an easing of Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Moreover, Levanon said, Israel’s recent diplomatic steps have not gone unnoticed by the Egyptian president. Two officials said Sunday’s decision was about new monies.
Mr Netanyahu has said he would seek changes to the Arab proposal.
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He said: “The plight of the Palestinian people becomes more arduous every day, and the dream of peace and security moves further out of the Israeli people’s reach as long as the conflict continues”.
