Tripartite Summit – Al-Sisi, Ben Zayed and Bennett discuss regional and international issues
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that his meeting with Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was a pivotal moment.
Speaking at the start of the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting, Bennett said: “Last week, we saw a pivotal moment in the meeting with President al-Sisi and Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Our old peace with Egypt met our new peace, represented by the Ibrahim Agreements”.
It’s a very moving day; here in the country we host the Negev Summit. The Foreign Ministers of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain in Sde Boker (a place in the Negev desert) for a meeting with Minister Yair Lapid and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
He went on to say: “I draw the attention of all those who have not yet paid attention to the fact that Israel’s external relations are witnessing a good stage, as Israel has become an important player both on the global and regional scene, taking into account old relations and building new bridges”.
He continued: “We are putting more diplomatic, economic and security content into these relations, which date back to quite a few years, in order to create a link between the moderate countries in the Middle East, and I am pleased to see the continuation of this trend through the meeting also scheduled in Sde Boker”, referring to the “Negev Summit” which is being held today and tomorrow.
“In the Middle East, there are those who create violence and backwardness, and in return there are those who push for cooperation, prosperity and peace”, Bennett said. There is an increasing awareness in the Arab world that Israel is – and has always been – in the trench of peace and cooperation.
He added: “Let me turn to all the guests coming to us, welcome to Israel, and we are very happy and excited to welcome you here and our door is always open”.
Bennett concluded: “While we talk about peace, there are those who keep fanning the flames of war.. Last weekend we received another reminder of this as the Houthis, acting on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, launched an attack targeting Saudi Arabia”.
“The mere idea of removing this organization from the list of terrorist organizations that are designated in the United States is very disturbing and not only for us”, he said. “We hope that this will not happen and we know that it will not actually happen”.
The Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheik hosted a trilateral meeting last Tuesday, where Sheik Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
During the tripartite meeting with President al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed strengthening relations between the three countries and the importance of cooperation, coordination and consultation among them in order to meet the aspirations of development and stability in the region, energy security and stability in world markets.
