US Initiates Efforts to Facilitate Meeting Between Egypt and Israel

The American news website Axios reported on Sunday that the White House is ready to broker a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. An American official and an informed Israeli source told Axios that Netanyahu and Sisi have not spoken since before the Gaza war. However, American officials said any meeting would depend on Netanyahu agreeing to a strategic gas deal with Egypt, as well as taking additional steps to convince Sisi to meet him. The US initiative aims to improve relations between Israel and Arab states through what American officials describe as ‘economic diplomacy’.