Relations between the U.S. and Egypt, traditionally one of its closest regional allies, are being tested like never before since U.S. President Donald Trump two weeks ago began talking about his idea to move the Gazan population to Egypt and Jordan.
As part of a broad diplomatic offensive to avert Trump’s ideas, Egypt on Tuesday reportedly canceled the planned visit of its President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to the White House, while announcing its intention to present its own Gaza reconstruction plan.
Sissi was due to visit Trump on Feb. 18, but his visit was suspended to underline Cairo’s opposition to Trump’s evacuation and takeover plans in Gaza, Egyptian officials told Al Arabiya.
The officials said relations with the U.S. were now the “most strained in three decades,” while the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV reported that Egypt continues to reject any allocation of its land to settle Gazans.
At the same time, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday its “aspiration” to cooperate with the Trump administration to reach a “just settlement of the Palestinian cause.”
To that effect, Egypt will “present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that ensures the Palestinian people remain in their homeland and aligns with their legitimate and legal rights.”
Cairo also emphasized “that any vision for resolving the Palestinian cause must take into account the need to avoid endangering the gains of peace in the region while simultaneously addressing the root causes of the conflict by ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and implementing the two-state solution as the only path to stability.”
Despite the cancellation of President el-Sissi’s visit, Foreign Minister Badr Abdellaty reiterated his country’s opposition to Trump’s plans in meetings with Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and other officials this week.
Over the last few days, Rubio repeatedly called on regional leaders to present alternatives to Trump’s ideas. “The only one who’s stood up and said, ‘I’m willing to help do it,’ is Donald Trump,” Rubio said during an interview with SiriusXM Patriot.
“All these other leaders, they’re going to have to step up. If they’ve got a better idea, then now is the time.”
“And the blunt truth is that the Middle East has, for too long, been a region of places all of whom love to talk but don’t want to do. So, it’s time – if they don’t like Donald Trump’s plan, then it’s time for these countries in the region to step forward and offer their solution,” Rubio said.
Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have led the Arab nations in an effort to present a unified front against Trump’s ideas.
On Tuesday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Trump that he would receive 2,000 sick children from Gaza but didn’t endorse the president’s plan, instead appearing to play for time until a unified Arab plan could be presented.
“I think we have to keep in mind, there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries,” Abdullah noted. “I think the point is, how do we make this work in a way that is good for everybody?” He later added, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Egypt has called an emergency Arab summit for Feb. 27 and plans to host a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the issue.
