Israel must stop escalation to allow peace with Palestinians: Egypt’s FM to US Jewish groups

Ahram Online , Saturday 23 Sep 2023

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry called on Israel to halt its escalations in the Palestinian territories to pave the way for peace, during a meeting Friday with American Jewish organisations on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Israeli soldiers
File Photo: Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian boy near Al-Aqsa Mosque. AFP

 

Egypt remains committed to ongoing efforts to achieve peace and encourages both Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiating table, Shoukry said.

However, this requires Israel to halt its repeated escalations that have resulted in the loss of life and suffering for Palestinians, he added.

Ending these escalations would create an encouraging atmosphere for peace based on the two-state solution, Shoukry noted.

Shoukry raised the Palestinian cause in various meetings in New York on the UNGA 78 sidelines, including during an open dialogue with the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Friday and during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, on Thursday.

Shoukry also participated on Thursday in the ministerial committee of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a body responsible for coordinating international aid to the Palestinian people.

During the meeting, Shoukry affirmed the need to resume peace negotiations as the sole means of resolving the Palestinian cause.

Israeli escalation in the Palestinian lands, especially the West Bank, has surged since early last year, causing the death of at least 235 Palestinians, according to the AFP on Tuesday.

Settling regional crises

In press remarks following his meeting with the US Jewish groups, Shoukry said he briefed the American side on Egypt’s assessment of developments in Sudan, Libya, and Syria.

Shoukry also discussed relations with Iran and Turkey as well as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

The representatives of the groups, for their part, hailed Egypt’s important role in enhancing stability and peace and resolving crises in the region and other parts of the world.

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