Washington Post : al-Sissi is the only clear victor in the battle between Israel and Hamas
The Washington Post considers that Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi used his country’s role in reaching a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip to emphasize its importance.
In an article published on Friday, the newspaper mentioned that American President Joe Biden had said that he would not give “blank checks” to the “favorite dictator of Trump,” as he described, referring to al-Sissi’s relationship with former American President Donald Trump, calling on al-Sissi “to improve his bad human rights record.”
In the first four months of his presidency, Biden did not contact al-Sissi, demonstrating “unprecedented contempt for a key Middle Eastern ally,” the article said.
The newspaper continued : “The latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict came along, and al-Sissi seized the opportunity.. Egypt is one of the few regional powers to have close contacts with Hamas and Israel, with the two sides reaching a truce agreement on Thursday under Egyptian auspices.”
“For many analysts and diplomats, the only clear winner in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi,” the newspaper said.
The newspaper quoted Mustafa Kamal al-Said, a professor of political science at Cairo University, as saying : “In the face of statements about Egypt’s declining role in Middle East politics, al-Sissi has shown his importance and that of Egypt, and has assured the United States that he can be an influential player in the region’s landscape.”
The article continued : “Some US lawmakers have called for a $1.3 billion cut in military aid to Egypt in an effort to pressure Cairo to improve human rights, but Egypt’s role in the truce could change that attitude in Washington.”
After the ceasefire was announced, Biden expressed his “sincere gratitude” to al-Sissi and the Egyptian mediation team, which played a crucial role in reaching the truce agreement, the paper said, adding that the two presidents agreed during a phone call to maintain contact.
In a series of tweets, al-Sissi said he was happy to receive Biden’s call and thanked him for his role in making the ceasefire a success, adding that this “confirms the depth and strength of the strategic relations between Egypt and the United States.”
Other European and regional leaders have also called al-Sissi to praise his role, signaling recognition of Egypt’s status as a stabilizing force in the Middle East even as al-Sissi’s government is widely seen as the most repressive in Egypt’s modern history.
“Regionally, successful mediation has bolstered Egypt’s standing at a time when it is dominated by rivals such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and even Russia.”
