Egyptian official: President Sisi labels Israel an enemy, marking a first since Sadat’s historic Jerusalem visit
Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service, highlighted the closing remarks of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, where he called for the need “to change our positions on the enemy’s view of us.”
Speaking to Extra News TV channel, Rashwan said: “The last time the word ‘enemy’ was used by Egypt’s top official, or by any state official, was before the peace treaty in 1977.”
He added: “This is the first time the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt has spoken the word ‘enemy’ since 11 November 1977, on the day President Sadat visited occupied Jerusalem, and it has not been repeated since. Its implications are very significant.”
Rashwan explained that “the term matches the current reality, as Egypt is under threat, and only an enemy threatens national security.”
He referred to President El-Sisi’s statement that the threat of displacing Palestinians represents “a red line that we will never accept under any circumstances.”
He also noted that President El-Sisi revived the _expression_ “the central cause” when describing the Palestinian issue, saying: “This phrase was used in the past when the Palestinian cause began, but many either ignored it, forgot it, or felt we had to bury it, trusting that Israel was peaceful.”