Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty arrived in Washington on Monday, where he was greeted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His visit comes amid growing tensions between Egypt and the U.S. following controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Palestinian refugee issue.
Trump’s proposal to turn the Gaza Strip into what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East” and his suggestion that Palestinian refugees be resettled in neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, has sparked strong opposition. Both Egypt and Jordan’s Foreign Ministries swiftly rejected the idea, asserting that the displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable and would exacerbate the region’s instability.
Trump also claimed he had spoken with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the phone about the plan, a statement which Egyptian officials swiftly denied. An unnamed Egyptian official revealed that there had been no such conversation between the two leaders.
Sisi, who had previously emphasized his country’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, condemned Trump’s plan as an “act of injustice” that Egypt would not support. He also voiced concerns that such a proposal would present significant security risks to Egypt, which is already home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The political fallout over the remarks is significant as Egypt continues to work with the U.S. to facilitate peace efforts between Israel and Hamas, aiming for a two-state solution. Despite the recent strain in relations, Sisi affirmed Egypt’s commitment to collaborating with the U.S. for a fair and lasting peace agreement in the region.
The diplomatic rift highlights the challenges in U.S.-Egypt relations, with both countries at odds over how best to address the complex and longstanding issues surrounding Palestinian refugees and the broader Middle East peace process.
