Egyptian Senator Mahmoud Musallam has slammed Israeli media speculation about a potential meeting between Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “illogical.”
In sharp remarks reflecting Egypt’s official stance on Israel’s practices, Musallam categorically denied the possibility of a meeting between Sisi and Netanyahu in Cairo, deeming it “impossible” given the current circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Egyptian parliamentarian’s comments came during an interview with RT Arabic channel on Sunday, where Musallam responded to American and Israeli media reports suggesting a US desire to hold a trilateral meeting in Cairo or Washington.
Egypt would never accept anything at the expense of the Palestinians, he affirmed.
Relations between Egypt and Israel are “poor”, he said, pointing to the lack of full diplomatic representation – such as Egypt’s refusal to accept the credentials of the proposed Israeli ambassador – and the absence of any direct telephone contact between Sisi and Netanyahu.
Any existing relations are limited to security coordination imposed by the war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, ruling out any bilateral meeting in the current period.
Musallam recalled US President Donald Trump’s previous attempt to bring Sisi and Netanyahu together at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, a meeting that was canceled under the pretext of religious holidays.
The senator believes that though Trump views Egypt as a pivotal country in the Middle East, this does not mean that Sisi will agree to a meeting with Netanyahu in light of Israel’s brutal actions which completely violate international humanitarian law.
Official denies Egypt proposed the meeting
Musallam also denied any Egyptian proposal for a meeting between Sisi and Netanyahu in Washington, calling for a separation of the commercial and political aspects.
The gas deal between Egypt and Israel is a commercial transaction managed by the private sector, from which both countries benefit economically without any political implications, he stressed.
The Egyptian senator assured that his country will not face a gas crisis because Israel is not the sole supplier, and that the deal will never come at the expense of “Palestinian blood” or the stability of the region.
Musallam linked the improvement in relations to progress on the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, which, thanks to Trump, saved Israel from international isolation – however he noted that Israel has not adhered to some of its provisions.
Israel’s statements regarding the Rafah crossing are a “maneuver” to appease the Israeli public, he said, denying that they were a provocation against Egypt, which has firmly rejected the displacement of Palestinians.
Musallam conditioned progress on the second phase of the agreement on resolving three issues: reducing small-scale Israeli operations, expediting the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Gaza, and holding a reconstruction conference.
He emphasized that Trump is the only one capable of pressuring Netanyahu, ruling out the role of British politician Tony Blair due to his unwelcome presence among Palestinians and Arabs.
