From the Liveblog of
Thursday, December 9, 2021
No Israeli flag at Lapid-Sissi meet, but it wasn’t a snub — Foreign Ministry
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
There was no Israeli flag in the room when Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the Foreign Ministry confirmed to The Times of Israel.
However, this appears not to be any sort of snub, but rather an element of protocol when Sissi meets ministerial-level officials.
There was an Israeli flag prominently displayed when Lapid met Egypt’s foreign minister and deputy foreign minister.
When PM Naftali Bennett met with Sissi in the Sharm El-Sheikh in September, the Egyptians placed an Israeli flag next to the Egyptian.
No Israeli flag for @yairlapid in meeting with @AlsisiOfficial , but likely because he is not PM. During September meeting with @naftalibennett, the Egyptians placed a flag in the room. There was also flag in Lapid's meeting with Shoukry today. pic.twitter.com/fM3gHXCees
— Lazar Berman (@Lazar_Berman) December 9, 2021
The same rules apply even for Egypt’s most powerful backer, the US. When Antony Blinken met Sissi in May, there was no US flag, and he sat in the same seat as Lapid did today.
The Times of Israel Community.