Egypt on Monday hosted German, French and Jordan’s foreign ministers to discuss ways to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, a week before US President Joe Biden takes office.
In Cairo, the Foreign Ministry said that the aim of the meeting was to persuade Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate a “direct and comprehensive political settlement” on the basis of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as prime minister. a village on land captured in 1967 A six-day war.
LR: German FM Heiko Maas, Jordanian FM Ayman Safadi, Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry, and French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian, will hold a press conference at Tahrir Palace, in Cairo, Egypt
(Photo: AP)
The Palestinians have suffered a number of problems under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and complained about what they say were pro-Israel measures from Washington.
Trump has overthrown the Palestinian Authority, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv, lost funding for the Palestinians and reversed course. legalization of Israeli settlements on what Palestinian states say.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said last month that Cairo has been working towards a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ” take account of regional and international change. ” He seemed to be referring to the election of Biden and the establishment of ties with Israel with four Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
LR: Bahrain FM Abdullatif al-Zayani, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Emirati FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the signing of the Abrahamic Treaties at the White House
(Photo: AFP)
The French Foreign Ministry said the meeting would discuss ways to get Israelis and Palestinians to start talks, building on “the progressive regional context” related to the recent normalization treaties.
“It is a question of the merits, at the same time, of the resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, with a view to resolving the conflict within the framework of international law,” the statement said.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted before leaving for Cairo on Sunday that ministers would discuss “what concrete measures” could help “build trust” between Israel and the Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting in Washington in 2010
(Photo: GettyImages)
In September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference in early 2021 to “launch a real peace process,” based on UN resolutions and previous agreements with Israel. Palestinians no longer see the US as an honest broker.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said last month that the Palestinian Authority was ready to cooperate with the incoming Biden administration, and urged Israel to return to talks based on a two-pronged solution. for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.