Cairo: Egypt, Germany, France and Jordan have launched a renewed effort to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, in anticipation of a more agreeable new Biden administration in the United States.
Their foreign ministers met in Cairo on Monday and called for practical steps to launch “credible negotiations” to achieve a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital in territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
The ministers said they were ready to work with the US to facilitate negotiations that would lead to “a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region”.
“There is a willingness to see a close relationship with the United States on the revival of the peace process that will have to be carried out at some point,” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a joint news conference following the meeting.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry said the establishment of an independent Palestinian state should not threaten Israel’s security.
“The existence of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state alongside a secure state of Israel is the main guarantee for achieving stability in our region,” he said.
The Palestinians suffered numerous setbacks under the outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump and have complained about what they say were pro-Israeli steps from Washington. They have said, however, that they were ready to work with the incoming Biden administration. Democrat Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.
Read the article by Sam Magdy in The Age.