Egypt’s call for holding the Cairo Peace Summit has come at a critical time when Israel continues its offensive against the Palestinians. It asserts to the whole world that the Palestinian cause has been, and will remain, the core of the Arab world’s attention.
Holding the Cairo Peace Summit, which was one of a series of decisions taken during the Egyptian National Security Council meeting, affirms to the whole world that Egypt will not stand idly by amidst the continuing Israeli atrocities committed against Palestinians. It also affirms that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi puts the Palestinian cause at the top of foreign policy priorities.
Egypt is the biggest supporter of the Palestinian issue, and this was made clear in the intense co-ordination and discussions President Sisi holds with regional and international partners to de-escalate violence in Gaza and protect civilians.
The Cairo Peace Summit is one several attempts by the Egyptian leadership to push the international community to take an immediate action to calm the situation in Gaza and protect the lives of civilians there.
President Sisi’s call for the summit was met with broad approval from Arab and Western leaders. This indicates the world believes in Egypt’s capacity as the largest regional force to find ways to end the violence in Gaza.
The Cairo Peace Summit asserts Egypt’s consistent and historic role in defending the Palestinians’ right to establish their independent state.
Through the summit, Egypt is looking for peaceful and sustainable solutions for the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict while developments of the Palestinian issue make it necessary for concerned countries to deal with it in a collective and co-ordinated way.
In light of this, the summit is a platform for dialogue among countries to bring their views on resolving the Palestinian issue closer. It is also an opportunity for renewing the international commitment with the two-state solution, reinforcing international efforts for ending the Israeli occupation, and achieving intra-Palestinian reconciliation.
President Sisi had previously warned from the dangerous repercussions from the current escalation in Gaza Strip, noting that it could impact the security and stability of the region as whole. The president also reiterated that Egypt would never forsake its responsibility as a champion of the Palestinian issue, expressing his hope for settling the issue across negotiations.
Given Egypt’s historic role towards the Palestinian issue, President Sisi has received phone calls from world leaders, the UN Secretary General and the European Commission Head through which they asserted the urgency of a peaceful solution to the situation in Gaza.
The world is truly in need for an international summit to open a new political course to end the bloodshed in Gaza and ensure the safety of its civilians.
Mohamed Fahmy is the editor-in-chief of The Egyptian Gazette and Egyptian Mail newspapers
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