Egyptian and Jordanian leaders call for an end to IDF anti-terror raids in PA-controlled cities, blame Israel for tensions with Palestinians.
By World Israel News Staff
The Jordanian and Egyptian heads of state met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during a trilateral summit on Monday, slamming Israel and discussing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Abbas met in New Alamein, on Egypt’s North Coast, on Monday.
According to a spokesman for el-Sisi, the men spoke about Egyptian and Jordanian backing for “the brothers in Palestine” and promised to resume “work to revive the peace process.”
The leaders released a statement after the meeting condemning Israel and expressing “full support” for the embattled PA, which analysts fear is teetering on the brink of losing control of its enclaves in Judea and Samaria.
Referring to counterterrorism raids, the statement said that “Israel must stop its incursions into occupied [PA-controlled] cities, which undermine the ability of the Palestinian government and security to carry out their duties.”
The statement also called for Israel “to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip and other practices that fuel tension and violence and threaten to inflame the situation.”
According to Arab News, “el-Sisi and Abbas stressed the importance of the historical Hashemite [Jordanian] custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and its role in preserving their Arab identity.”
It’s unclear which Christian sites were being referenced in the statement. The most important Christian churches in the city – including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – are under the administration of various Christian orders, such as the Greek Orthodox Church and Armenian Church, and are not under the custodianship of the Jordanian government.
Though both Egypt and Jordan maintain formal peace treaties with Israel, Jewish and Israeli travelers to the countries are regularly harassed and humiliated by customs agents and locals. Lawmakers from the Arab countries often trash Israel in incendiary public statements that border on blood libel.
The trilateral summit comes as rumors swirl in the region regarding a potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The Gulf Kingdom, which is considered one of the most dominant powers in the region, is reportedly weighing a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Israel.