Abdel al-Fattah al-Sisi has sent a delegation led by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Israel to meet the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push the negotiation process with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu told his ministers in a cabinet meeting about this unannounced meeting, saying that it was “important” in light of al-Sisi’s recent call for moving forward on the peace process with the Palestinians and other Arab States.
Both sides are expected to hold talks on several issues including the EgyptAir Flight debris that was found along the shores of the coastal city of Netanya in Israel and the security cooperation between the two countries on Sinai.
Netanyahu said that he met with Shoukry, whom he said was coming as Sisi’s emissary, twice: once in the afternoon, and once in the evening, saying that al-Sisi is seeking to hold a regional peace conference soon.
He pointed out that the last visit by an Egyptian foreign minister was in 2007.
Many diplomatic sources say that Egypt’s FM visit comes in preparation for an expected visit for Netanyahu to Egypt in the light of coordination between both countries to resolve the Palestinian conflict.
Although Netanyahu’s three predecessors, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, visited Egypt a number of times, Netanyahu has not yet visited Egypt since he became prime minister in 2009.
