The English-language magazine “Modern Diplomacy” revealed Egypt’s most prominent roles and successful diplomatic milestones in the history of the Palestinian issue spanning 75 years, as it played an effective role in contributing to ending the crises of the Arab region and restoring stability to it, based on its strength and position.
Stations in Egypt’s successful diplomacy
She continued that Cairo continued its efforts during the 1970s by accepting the “Rogers 1970” initiative, which included the necessity of bringing peace to the region, conducting negotiations under the supervision of the United Nations envoy to reach a final agreement, and how to implement Resolution (242), including Israel’s withdrawal from the lands it occupied in 1967, and Egypt strengthened its efforts in this regard, when the late President Muhammad Anwar Sadat proposed the idea of forming an interim Palestinian government in September 1972, in response to the allegations of Golda Meir, then Prime Minister of Israel, that there was no Palestinian people.
The magazine added that the entire Egyptian role towards the Palestinian issue can be traced during the term of all previous Egyptian presidents, until the current term of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Egypt’s hosting of the international peace summit that was held after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
In June 1989, former Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak presented his peace plan, which included the necessity of resolving the Palestinian issue, in accordance with (Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338) and the principle of land for peace, establishing a Palestinian state, and preserving the political rights of the Palestinians. Then these efforts were strengthened in October of the same year, when Egypt welcomed the initiative of James Baker, former US Secretary of State, which included holding a Palestinian-Israeli dialogue as a step towards peace.
During the 1990s, Egypt’s role in calling for peace became prominent by participating in the signing of the Oslo Accords in September 1993, which were reached between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Egypt then played a prominent role until the completion of the signing of the Cairo Protocol in August 1995, which included the transfer of a number From powers to the Palestinian Authority.
The magazine explained that Egypt led prominent efforts to sign the Hebron Agreement in 1997 regarding the general framework for security arrangements in the city and the next stages of redeployment. Egypt also participated in the Arab initiative in December 1997, which stipulated raising the Palestinian representation in the United Nations from “observer” to “observer.” “Quasi-state” status.
In 1998, Egypt, in partnership with France, called for holding an international conference to save the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in May 1998. Egypt also supported the Palestinian side in its demand to adhere to the “Ye Plantation” agreement, which it reached with Israel in implementation of the Oslo Accords.
The magazine pointed out that during Mubarak’s rule, the Palestinian issue witnessed many sharp developments, and as a result, Egypt’s positions and roles evolved to achieve stability in this turbulent region of Egypt’s eastern borders. The beginning was with the withdrawal of the Egyptian ambassador from Israel after the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre.
In 1989, Mubarak presented his peace plan, which included the necessity of resolving the Palestinian issue in accordance with the Security Council resolution, and the principle of land for peace, with a cessation of Israeli settlements, and in September 1993, former President Mubarak participated in signing the Oslo Accords regarding the Palestinians’ right to self-rule, In 2003, Egypt supported the Geneva Document between the Israelis and Palestinians as a model for peace to calm the situation in the region.
The magazine explained that Egypt sponsors the Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue, and Cairo has hosted it in repeated rounds since November 11, 2002, with the aim of helping these factions achieve Palestinian reconciliation. During its sponsorship of these dialogues, Egypt has sought to achieve a number of goals that serve the cause.
Since the beginning of the dialogue, Egypt has been keen to inform the Palestinian factions that it does not constitute an alternative to the Palestinian Authority, and that they must all think about the highest interests of the Palestinian people and unify their vision, which is what prompted the international parties to return their interest in the peace process in the Middle East after these parties became convinced.
