Egypt's Sisi urges Palestinians to unite, co-exist with Israelis

[webfact]

Egypt's Sisi urges Palestinians to unite, co-exist with Israelis

 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York, U.S., September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

 

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Palestinians to overcome their differences and be ready to co-exist with each other and with Israelis in safety and security.

 

"I tell the Palestinian people it's extremely important ... to overcome the differences and not to lose opportunities and to be ready to accept co-existence with the other, with Israelis in safety and security," Sisi told the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders in New York.

 

Following Egyptian-mediated reconciliation talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Western-backed Fatah faction, Islamist Hamas said on Sunday it would dissolve its "administrative committee" to enable Abbas' administration to retake control in the Gaza Strip.

 

Hamas urged Abbas on Tuesday to respond by ending his sanctions on the impoverished enclave.

 

Addressing the Israelis, Sisi said: "We have an excellent experience in Egypt in peace with you for longer than 40 years."

 

"We can repeat this experience and this excellent step once again - the peace and security of the Israeli citizens together with the peace and security of the Palestinian citizens," Sisi told the 193-member General Assembly to a round of applause.

 

Israel and Egypt signed a 1979 treaty that began with overtures toward peace in 1977.

 

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani also appealed on Tuesday, during his speech to the General Assembly, for the Palestinians "to complete national reconciliation and unify positions and words in confronting the dangers and challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the future of the Palestinian people."

 

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-20

[Watchful]

Rumor has and I repeat rumor, that Trump and his administration is putting pressure on both Saudi Arabia and Egypt for Egypt to take full control of Gaza. (Prior to the war, Gaza was part of Egypt.)

 

Israel pulled totally out of Gaza back in 2005.  

 

Were Egypt to assert control over Gaza that would end effectively Hamas' desire for perpetual war. Thus, Hamas now wants to make peace with Abbas which from their perspective, is the lesser of two evils.

 

Abbas has a similar problem as Trump's administration would like Jordan to take back the West Bank. 

 

Appearing unified and willing to talk, just might keep the Palestinians intact.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Watchful said:

Rumor has and I repeat rumor, that Trump and his administration is putting pressure on both Saudi Arabia and Egypt for Egypt to take full control of Gaza. (Prior to the war, Gaza was part of Egypt.)

 

Israel pulled totally out of Gaza back in 2005.  

 

Were Egypt to assert control over Gaza that would end effectively Hamas' desire for perpetual war. Thus, Hamas now wants to make peace with Abbas which from their perspective, is the lesser of two evils.

 

Abbas has a similar problem as Trump's administration would like Jordan to take back the West Bank. 

 

Appearing unified and willing to talk, just might keep the Palestinians intact.

It's a rumour that has escaped the notice of Google as far as I can tell. And it seems very unlikely. Egypt already is dealing with a serious insurgency centered in the Sinai Peninsula. Does it really want another insurgency to cope with?

The Israelis have in mind to propose a plan that will create an independent Palestinian state out of Gaza and the Sinai peninsula. 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/minister-claims-netanyahu-trump-will-push-for-palestinian-state-in-sinai/

Edited September 20, 2017 by ilostmypassword

[Morch]

5 hours ago, Watchful said:

Rumor has and I repeat rumor, that Trump and his administration is putting pressure on both Saudi Arabia and Egypt for Egypt to take full control of Gaza. (Prior to the war, Gaza was part of Egypt.)

 

Israel pulled totally out of Gaza back in 2005.  

 

Were Egypt to assert control over Gaza that would end effectively Hamas' desire for perpetual war. Thus, Hamas now wants to make peace with Abbas which from their perspective, is the lesser of two evils.

 

Abbas has a similar problem as Trump's administration would like Jordan to take back the West Bank. 

 

Appearing unified and willing to talk, just might keep the Palestinians intact.

 

Rumors are a dime-a-dozen in the ME. What you allude to is more on the level of fantasies, sometimes aired as "magic solutions" for the conflict's resolution. The only semi-serious idea in this regard dealt with settling some of the diaspora Palestinians in tracts of land in the Sinai peninsula adjacent to the Gaza Strip. And even that version wasn't met with much enthusiasm.

 

What Trump's administration may or may not like is beside the point. Neither Egypt, nor Jordan got the slightest interest or inclination to burden themselves with ruling the Palestinians, and, of course, the Palestinians aren't much interested in that as well.

 

During the last year or so, Abbas did his best to increase pressure on the Hamas, aimed at bringing it to heel and, maybe, getting some sort of unification process by bending their arm. This was mainly done by withholding economic benefits and services previously provided by the PA. The result was a deterioration of Gaza's strip already crumbling economy, with domestic and international criticism aimed both at Abbas's steps and the Hamas's recalcitrance.

 

Egypt used the situation to push forward what at the time seemed to be an odd solution. According to this, Hamas would sort of withdraw from managing Gaza's rule, which was to be assumed not by the PA, but by an administrative organization headed by Mohammed Dahlan. The idea was that unlike Hamas, Dahlan's leadership would be acceptable to potential regional and international donors, thus facilitating aid and relief for the Gaza Strip. The exact details of the agreement were not fully available, and it wasn't clear just how extended Dahlan's control was envisaged, or how the Hamas would actually cope with these terms.

 

This was probably a tough one for the Hamas to swallow, given bad blood and all. But even more so with regard to Abbas, who practically banished Dahlan years ago. One way or another, what followed was a flurry of diplomatic activity, the gist of is a renewed push for an accelerated, amiable (relatively speaking) Palestinian reconciliation process. Still unclear if and how Dahlan features in this process. And back to rumors - there are those saying the whole thing was an elaborate set up by Egypt, aimed at bringing sides together. Who knows.

 

As with previous attempts at reconciliation, there's a whole lot of talk - things sort of get mangled as negotiations touch on actual issues. And even if these hurdles are passed, still problems with implementation. That reconciliation is in the best interests of the Palestinians is a given, that they lack an inspired leadership to get them there is another.

[Morch]

4 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

It's a rumour that has escaped the notice of Google as far as I can tell. And it seems very unlikely. Egypt already is dealing with a serious insurgency centered in the Sinai Peninsula. Does it really want another insurgency to cope with?

The Israelis have in mind to propose a plan that will create an independent Palestinian state out of Gaza and the Sinai peninsula. 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/minister-claims-netanyahu-trump-will-push-for-palestinian-state-in-sinai/

 

Context is your friend. Not "the Israelis", but right-wing elements and in particular, a minister not unknown for airing some fringe and outlandish notions. Also, this dates back to February, before the then new administration formulated (sort of) it's views on resolving the conflict.

[Rancid]

Palestinians might be better to grab any deal they can, the alternative would seem to be gradual genocide. When your opponents effectively control the world's largest military, and are supplied with massive amounts of arms for free, that is a conflict they are never going to win.

[Morch]

4 minutes ago, Rancid said:

Palestinians might be better to grab any deal they can, the alternative would seem to be gradual genocide. When your opponents effectively control the world's largest military, and are supplied with massive amounts of arms for free, that is a conflict they are never going to win.

 

Usual suspects' expected "sage" comments notwithstanding, this OP is primarily about a deal between Palestinian factions.