Closer to Arab Peace? Illustrative photo of Israeli PM Netanyahu and Egyptian FM Shoukry. Photo courtesy of by Haim Zach / GPO
Israel’s first Arab peace partner is one of the oldest nations on earth, and on Egypt’s National Day, Israel recognized the great heritage of their neighbor to the south, the peace accord that connects the two countries, and the hope that offers for others in the future. “The peace between us has been strong and steadfast, for almost 40 years. It has endured all the pitfalls and weathered all the storms and challenges,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in comments released by his office. “The peace between us is a beacon of hope, not just for us, but for the entire region.”
Netanyahu has plans for where that peace can lead—thanking again Egyptian President Abdel Al-Sisi for pushing for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. “We welcome the efforts to advance peace by President Al-Sisi, and we welcome the effort to incorporate other Arab states in this larger effort of a broader peace between all the peoples of the Middle East,” said Israel’s leader. Netanyahu also envisioned an even brighter alliance between his nation and Egypt.
“We have so much that we can accomplish together,” said Netanyahu. “We can work, and are working together in agriculture, and we can work in water, in energy, in every field of human endeavor to make the lives of our peoples and the lives of peoples in the Middle East as a whole better, more secure, richer. A future of hope, a future of prosperity, and a future of peace.”
Israel and Egypt signed their original peace accord in 1979 and through numerous governments for both countries the peace has passed the test of time. More recently, under the strongly anti-terrorism leadership of Al-Sisi, the nations have appeared to grow closer, culminating in Egypt’s quasi-mediation between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu wished the peace between the two nations a long life, and used his greetings to Egypt on their National Day to both look to the past and to hope for what could be.
“This is a day when Egyptians celebrate your proud unsurpassed history, your rich culture, your many accomplishments,” said Netanyahu.
“Egypt and Israel are among the world’s oldest civilizations, and each has made contributions to the civilizations of the world. And together we made history by showing the world that peace between Arabs and Israelis is possible and sustainable.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, July 28, 2016)