Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has hailed the peace agreement signed with Israel in 1979, urging leaders and officials in the region to follow the example of late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat in overcoming popular concepts in his era.
He made the remarks during a cultural symposium dubbed “October 1973: Crossing to the Future,” which was organized by the Armed Forces in celebration of the 48th anniversary of the October 6 War.
Egyptians have made many sacrifices before and after this war, Sisi stressed and saluted Arab nations who supported Egypt during that period.
“During the 1967 crisis, Egypt was not alone in its battle. Its brothers supported it financially and militarily, which contributed to the victory.”
Sisi praised late President Anwar El-Sadat, who decided to wage the war and assumed responsibility for his decision before heading to peace.
Sadat’s initiative to reach a peace deal with Israel reflected his ability to move beyond the entrenched ideas and policies of his era, Sisi affirmed.
He urged rulers and those responsible for managing crises in the region to take Sadat’s action as an example and pursue his steps.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Bilateral ties have been described as “lukewarm” for years and limited to security and political cooperation, but they have recently been improved on the economic level.
Earlier this week, EgyptAir made its first official direct flight to Israel and landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli Airport Authority (IAA) said the landing is "a historic first.”
In September, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh for the first time in over a decade.
Jordan was the second Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1994. In 2020, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco signed deals to normalize ties with Tel Aviv.
