Egypt has an action plan to counter President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from their homeland. Cairo’s plan is spelled out in an article by former Egyptian member of Parliament Amr Hamzawy, who is currently director of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. The article appeared in the Feb. 18 issue of Al Ahram daily, which is close to the Egyptian government.
Hamzawy wrote that “It has become clear to the U.S. administration that the Egyptian position rejecting the displacement of the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip is a principled one that is not subject to compromise.” The U.S. was also informed that the displacement plans “threaten the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty and put the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt to the test. And after Trump hinted at the possibility of freezing U.S. military and economic aid to Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi channeled the official and popular anger at such plans into a diplomatic move by indefinitely postponing his planned visit to the United States.”
Among some ten major objectives of Egyptian policy are foiling the displacement plans while preparing to defend Egyptian national security, and avoiding any involvement in wars and military conflicts. As the strategic partnership with the United States must be protected, since it benefits both parties, Egypt should mobilize its resources and activate alternatives to U.S. aid, both military and economic, and Egypt must stand by Jordan and work for a Palestinian State. Egypt should work with the Arab Quintet of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Qatar to revive the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and work with the U.S. administration to launch comprehensive peace and security negotiations in the Middle East.
Among eight direct steps, Egypt must assure the completion of the ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian relief, and mobilize enough material resources (heavy equipment, building materials, mobile homes, water and sewage units, electricity and mobile health care with financial resources).
