In a recognition followed by a reference to the pivotal and central role of Egypt, the American newspaper "The Washington Post" confirmed that Egypt is an indispensable player in the file of the Palestinian issue, and no matter how other regional parties intervene, there will not be a breakthrough in the current escalation file in Gaza without Cairo, and perhaps most importantly, the American attempts with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing, while Egypt adheres to the introduction of humanitarian aid to the besieged sector.

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edited by |Jus Mcmahon

 

Politic section -  CJ journalist

 

Washington - October,16,2023

 

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Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of state, faced stiff resistance from the "most powerful strongmen in the Arab world" on Sunday in an attempt to convince Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to adopt Washington's view on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the American newspaper said.

Blinken told reporters on Sunday after his meetings with the Egyptian President: "I heard a lot of good ideas about some of the things we need to do to move forward," but differences of views immediately emerged on Israel's right to launch a large-scale attack on Gaza.

"Egypt has provided a lot of material support to the people in Gaza, and the Rafah crossing will be opened," Blinken said about his talks with Sisi, adding: "We are working with the United Nations, Egypt, Israel and others, to develop a mechanism through which assistance will be introduced and delivered to the people who need it.

US President Biden appointed former Ambassador David Satterfield on Sunday to lead us humanitarian efforts related to the conflict, and Blinken said Satterfield was due to arrive in Egypt on Monday to help coordinate aid to Gaza.

The Washington Post said: "Egypt is the only country that maintains strong contacts with Israel and Palestine, and has long been a major interlocutor during the outbreak of violence in the past, and Cairo brokered a ceasefire, May 2021, which ended the outbreak of violence that lasted 11 days between Israel and Hamas, which left more than 250 dead.

"While other actors in the Middle East have taken more active roles in diplomacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent years, Egypt's geographical position makes it an indispensable player in this issue,"the newspaper quoted analysts as saying.

The "Washington Post" pointed out that with Israel continuing to bomb Gaza, and showing pro-Palestinian support around the world, Egypt sought to be a voice of calm, calling on all parties to de-escalate and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

She explained that President Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry engaged in a wave of diplomacy, calling world leaders by phone and hosting senior diplomats from countries such as Turkey, Germany and Italy in Cairo to convey this message.