Sisi's statements on peace efforts welcomed abroad, ridiculed at home
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced his country's willingness to negotiate between the Palestinians and Israelis, a statement that proved controversial in Egypt.
CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced May 17 that Egypt is ready to broker reconciliation among “the different [Palestinian] factions” in order to arrive at a genuine opportunity to resolve the Palestinian cause.
Sisi also called on Israeli leaders and parties to agree to find a solution to the Palestinian crisis. In a speech broadcast on state television on the sideline of the inauguration of energy-generation projects, he stressed the presence of a serious opportunity to build peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
This came hours after France said an Israeli-Palestinian peace conference — which was scheduled for this month in Paris to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, after they collapsed in 2014 — has been postponed.
Referring to recent celebrations by Palestinians of Nakba Day, at the same time Israelis were celebrating independence, Sisi said, “A few days ago some people were celebrating victory and independence, while others were commemorating defeat — both in the same place.”
