- Title: Egypt's Sisi offers mediating role in Israel-Palestinian peace talks
- Date: 17th May 2016
- Summary: JERUSALEM (FILE - FEBRUARY 23, 2015) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND JERUSALEM MAYOR, NIR BARKAT, DURING MEETING
- Embargoed: 1st June 2016 14:40
- Keywords: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Egypt Palestinians Israel pease talks
- Location: ASSIUT, EGYPT/ BILI'N, WEST BANK/ JERUSALEM/ NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: ASSIUT, EGYPT/ BILI'N, WEST BANK/ JERUSALEM/ NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0064I74UVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE, THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi promised Israel on Tuesday (May 17) warmer ties if it accepts efforts to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, urging Israeli leaders not to waste an opportunity to bring security and hope to a troubled region.
In an impromptu speech at an infrastructure conference in the southern city of Assiut, Sisi said his country was willing to exert all efforts into finding a solution to the crisis.
"There is currently an Arab initiative, a French initiative, there are American efforts and there is a quartet that are all working towards a solution to this issue. In Egypt, we do not intend on playing a leading role or to be leaders of this issue, but we are prepared to exert all efforts that will contribute to finding a solution to this problem," Sisi said.
Sisi added that Egypt was willing to act as mediator to reconcile rival Palestinian factions in an effort to pave the way toward a lasting peace accord with the Israelis.
"I say to our Palestinian brothers, you must unite the different factions in order to achieve reconciliation and quickly. We as Egypt are prepared to take on this role. It is a real opportunity to find a long-awaited solution," he said.
French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday an international conference due in late May in Paris to relaunch peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis had been postponed but would take place this summer.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told France's foreign minister on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to a French initiative for an international conference to try to revive peace talks.
Egypt was the first of a handful of Arab countries to recognise Israel with a U.S.-sponsored peace accord in 1979, but Egyptian attitudes to their neighbour remain icy due to what many Arabs see as the continued Israeli occupation of land that is meant to form a Palestinian state.
"I ask Israeli factions and the Israeli leadership to please agree on finding a solution to the crisis, and this should be in return for nothing but good for the current and future generations and children. I can see this, if this hope can be achieved by finding a solution to the issue, and there becomes a Palestinian state, I can guarantee, and we can all guarantee peace and security for both sides," Sisi urged.
With U.S. efforts to broker a two-state accord in tatters and Washington focused on its November presidential election, Paris has lobbied major powers to hold a conference that would set the groundwork to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table before the end of the year.
Paris has grown frustrated over the absence of movement toward a two-state solution since the collapse of U.S.-brokered talks in 2014 and argues that letting the status quo prevail was, as one French diplomat, called it "waiting for a powder keg to explode". - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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