Egypt denounced the recent “inflammatory” statements of Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the Palestinian people, saying they undermined peace efforts.
Last Sunday, Egyptian, Jordanian, Israeli, Palestinian, and US security officials and politicians met in Sharm el-Sheikh following Cairo's invitation to complete the understanding reached in Aqaba on Feb. 26.
The parties agreed on the "necessity of calm" ahead of Ramadan, and they decided to develop a mechanism to curb incitement and inflammatory statements and actions.
The mechanism must submit reports to the leaders of the five countries next April when resuming the meeting session in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Only hours after these understandings, Smotrich denied the existence of a Palestinian people or nationhood, saying there was "no such thing as Palestinians because there's no such thing as the Palestinian people."
Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Abu Zeid, described the Israeli minister's statements as "irresponsible and inflammatory," noting that the racist gestures that deny history and geography fuel anger and tension among Palestinians and the people of the free world.
Abu Zeid said such statements undermine efforts to achieve calm between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, especially ahead of Ramadan, which coincides with the Christian and Jewish holidays, all of which establish meanings of tolerance, peace, and respect for others.
An Egyptian official, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, considered Smotrich's statements a violation of the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings.
He indicated that the US and Egypt stressed during the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting that the Tel Aviv government must maintain stability and calm, rejecting any hostile statements or actions from the far-right ministers that could further exacerbate the situation.
The source said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must control his government, warning of the consequences of unilateral Israeli actions and their impact on achieving calm.
