History in Sharm el-Sheikh: For the first time, a tripartite summit of the President of Egypt, the Prime Minister of Israel and the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates. The issue at hand: the common enemy Iran, the nuclear deal that may be nearing signing and the American intention to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the list of terrorist states.
The first to arrive yesterday were Sharm, Egyptian President al-Sisi and Crown Prince of the Emirates Muhammad bin Ziad. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett later joined, and reportedly stayed overnight in Sharm. Reports in Jerusalem said the summit had been secretly prepared for several days. The Emirates’ WAMA news agency only mentioned al-Sisi’s conversation with Ziad on bilateral issues and “the importance of Arab solidarity in the face of common challenges.”
Reuters reported last night that Egyptian President Bashar had hosted Prime Minister Bennett and the Emirate ruler, with the main issue being the nuclear talks in Vienna, but also discussed the war in Ukraine and regional issues.
On this issue, State Department spokesman Ned Price said yesterday: “The nuclear deal with Iran is not close to being signed and is not guaranteed. Washington is preparing for scenarios with and without the agreement,” but warned that Washington is ready to make tough decisions to return to the nuclear deal with Iran.
While a White House spokeswoman said yesterday that on the issue of the US nuclear deal is in continuous contact with Israel, there is still no agreement and the president will make decisions taking into account the interests of the countries of the region.
Sources in Jerusalem stressed the issue of the American intention to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the list of terrorist countries, a topic that is opposed by the three countries hosted by the President of Egypt. Bennett seeks the support of Egypt and the Union in a campaign against this American intention.
In Jerusalem, political sources said yesterday that there was an intention to try to form a coalition that would include the three countries and also Turkey, against Iran, against the nuclear agreement and the issue of the Revolutionary Guards.
Israel is also interested in persuading Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to increase their oil production in order to reduce dependence on oil from Russia. It was also learned that Israel and Egypt have a common interest in finding alternatives to importing wheat instead of importing from Ukraine and Russia.