Sissi: Ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict would stabilize Mideast

Ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would make the Middle East safer and more stable, as it would eliminate a recruitment tool used by extremists, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi told a delegation of American Jewish leaders in Cairo on Monday.

Solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict according to international proposals and the Arab Peace Initiative would create a new reality, Arab Today quoted Sissi as telling the group, which was led by American Jewish Committee (AJC) chairman Stanley Bergman. International guarantees should be put into place to give both sides hope, the president added.

Sissi hinted that he believes jihadists may be taking advantage of pent-up frustration with the Palestinian issue among Muslims worldwide, to recruit supporters and fuel ongoing sectarian conflicts unrelated to Israel or the Palestinians.

The Egyptian president, who has been battling Islamist operatives in Sinai and on the Egypt-Libya border, said that fighting terrorism requires a concerted international effort. The cycle of violence is not restricted solely to the Middle East, and is spreading to areas such as Africa, he said.

According to the report, the delegation expressed hope that frayed ties between Cairo and the US would be mended in the future, to which Sissi noted that he welcomes cooperation with Washington in all areas.

Last week, Egypt suffered one of its most brazen attacks in recent memory, in which gunman loyal to the Islamic State killed 21 Egyptian soldiers according to Egyptian figures. Cairo said more than 240 militants had been killed in retaliatory strikes.