UAE, Egypt, Bahrain push for peace in the Middle East

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: SETH J. FRANTZMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi hosted Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Cairo and held talks on Wednesday. In addition, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, one of several important conversations the president had this week as part of a UAE push for peace in the region

Saudi Arabia and the UAE "discussed the repercussions of the military escalation in the region, the threat it may pose to the security and stability of the area, and the need to act to prevent the situation from worsening." This appears to be a reference to the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel.

In Cairo, Bahrain and Egypt discussed the desire for calm in Gaza and ending "ongoing regional tension." The two sides "agreed on the urgent need to exert and encourage immediate and intensive efforts toward de-escalation, both in the Palestinian territories and at the regional level," the Egyptian president told a joint press conference.

Calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Sisi urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He also said there should be a flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip, and discussed the need for a two-state solution.

"The Bahraini king said that he agreed with the Egyptian president on the necessity of implementing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and maintaining humanitarian aid delivery to the enclave, the need for a political path towards a just and lasting peace in the region, as well as the acceptance of Palestine as a full member of the UN," Xinhua news agency in China noted.

They also discussed the upcoming Arab Summit in Bahrain that will take place in May. "I agreed with the King of Bahrain on the need to stop the escalation in the Palestinian territories and at the regional level," Al-Ain media reported Sisi as saying. "I discussed with the Egyptian president the need for a political path towards a just and lasting peace in the region based on the two-state solution and acceptance of Palestine's membership in the United Nations," the king of Bahrain said.

Hamad also praised Egypt's historic role in the region, noting that its role in peacemaking goes back to the era of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II and the peace treaty with the Hittite empire, known as the Treaty of Kadesh, which was made in 1258 BCE.

At the same time, the UAE has tried to reduce escalation in the region, Al-Ain media noted. This is important because the Emirates and Bahrain are...