Amb. Khairat
Photo: Nitzan Dror
Egyptian ambassador to Israel promotes two-state solution
Hazem Khairat celebrates peace between his country and the Jewish state, though an Israeli security expert warns that it may deteriorate if steps towards normalization are not taken.
Egypt’s ambassador to Israel said that the two-state solution was the only way forward at Tel Aviv conference on Thursday night.
Hazem Khairat also remarked on the peace between his country and the Jewish state, which was initiated 40 years ago with the historic visit to Israel of the then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. He was speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies, which was hosting a conference to mark the occasion.
צילום: ניצן דרור
“Our peace is stable,” the ambassador said. “Channels of communication between both sides are open in a constructive dialogue to achieve our mutual goals in achieving stability and prosperity in the region and defeating terrorism.”
Israel’s ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin, said on Thursday that “close ties” exist between the Israeli prime minister and Egyptian president “that are based on trust and mutual respect.”
Govrin mentioned the two countries’ joint efforts to combat terrorism and develop the Sinai Peninsula, which brought about unprecedented levels of collaboration.
Ambassador Khairat (Photo: Nitzan Dror)
Khairat later addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He commented, “The two-state solution is the only possible way forward. If one really wants to reach peace—true!—it would be up to both parties to reach their final agreement through direct negotiations.
“But we also have to recognize the role of the international community, especially the United States (which) is indispensible.”
The ambassador also condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank. “These settlements erode the land of the future Palestinian state, undermine hope for the future and threaten Israel’s long-term security, as the absence of hope increases tension and could lead to violence and benefit extremists on both sides.”
Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, formerly head of the Defense Ministry's Political-Military Affairs Bureau, warned of the danger posed to the future of the Israeli-Egyptian peace. Also speaking at the conference, Gilad said that normalization must be a goal for the two countries and noted as worrying that the heads of the IDF and IAF have never met with their Egyptian counterparts.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in his speech that a “relationship of trust” had developed between the two countries since President El-Sisi came to power.
(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
