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Naftali Bennett visits Egypt in first official trip for over a decade
The Arab News reported, according to AFP, Israel’s Naftali Bennett was to meet President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Monday, on the first visit to Egypt by an Israeli premier in over a decade.
Presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement, El-Sisi was to host Bennett in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss “efforts to revive the peace process” between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, after decades of enmity.
The Arab News noted that in May, Cairo played a key role in brokering a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip after 11 days of heavy fighting.
Egypt regularly receives leaders of Hamas as well as of its political rival the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmud Abbas, while maintaining strong diplomatic, security and economic ties with Israel.
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It should be noted that Bennett’s visit comes 10 days after Abbas was in Cairo for talks with El-Sisi.
The last meeting between an Egyptian president and an Israeli prime minister dates back to January 2011 when Hosni Mubarak received Benjamin Netanyahu.
Source: aranews
