Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will not travel to Washington for talks at the White House as long as the agenda includes U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said.
Trump has infuriated the Arab world with a plan to permanently displace the population of more than 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, claim U.S. control of it and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
He has demanded Egypt and Jordan take in the Palestinians, and has threatened to withdraw aid from the two U.S.-allied Arab states if they refuse.
Egypt has said Trump had extended an open invitation to Sisi to visit the White House earlier this month. A U.S. official said no date for such a visit has been set. The Egyptian presidency and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jordan’s King Abdullah appeared uncomfortable during a meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, at which Trump discussed his Gaza plan.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty visited Washington this week. The Egyptian sources said one aim of his trip was to avert a potentially awkward presidential visit.
According to the Egyptian sources, it was made apparent to Abdelatty during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the displacement plan would be on the table if Sisi visited.
Abdelatty responded that such a meeting would be of no use, and that any discussion should be over Egypt’s own plan for reconstruction of Gaza, the sources said. Egypt has said its plan would “ensure Palestinians remain on their land”.
Sisi and King Abdullah spoke on the phone on Wednesday and urged that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, the Egyptian presidency said.
The two leaders expressed keenness for Trump to lead a pathway for achieving a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders and to closely cooperate to establish permanent peace in the Middle East region.
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