The current Israeli-Palestinian escalation may undermine any efforts for settlement between both sides. At the same time it revealed that there will be no stability in the region without settlement, and that the use of force will only exacerbate tensions and violence.
Even so, Egypt has assumed the task to settle the Palestinian cause for over half a century.
Egypt has unwaveringly supported the Palestinian cause and efforts to reach a final settlement that would allow the Palestinians to restore their rights and establish an independent state. This what President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has repeated in all international forums.
Egypt is always associated with the Palestinian cause because of national security, not to mention the historical and geographical links with Palestine.
Egypt is the biggest supporter of the first Arab cause as manifested in intense diplomatic and political efforts led by Cairo to end the latest tensions between the Palestinian factions and Israel.
The international community realises that Egypt is the most important regional force that is capable of reconciling differences and leading the region towards stability. The rest of the world also realises that the current Israeli-Palestinian tension will not be alleviated without Egypt’s intervention.
Arab and western leaders recently contacted President Sisi to co-ordinate efforts to halt the escalation of violence between the Palestinians and Israelis in Gaza Strip.
Egypt has urged parties involved in efforts to resume peacemaking to intervene immediately to stop ongoing atrocities call on Israel to stop attacks and provocative acts against the Palestinian people and abide by international humanitarian law rules.
Egypt has also called on the Security Council to deal with the Palestinian cause and take immediate measures to safeguard the Palestinian right to an independent state.
Israeli leaders should learn the lesson: whatever their military and intelligence prowess, they will never attain security as long as they violate the rights of Palestinian people. Recent Israeli attacks on Palestinians are clear evidence of this. Despite boasts of superior security and intel, it failed to predict what happened.
Israeli newspapers blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the current escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that Netanyahu’s foolishness led to the war. The writer also observed that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas busted the myth of Israel’s superior forces and intelligence. The British Daily Mail newspaper also criticised Israel’s intelligence failure.
Egypt will continue efforts to restore stability in the region, which will come only when a just solution to the Palestinian cause is found.
Mohamed Fahmy is the editor-in-chief of The Egyptian Gazette and Egyptian Mail newspapers
