Egypt Declares Treaty with Israel 'Stable and Permanent' but Delays Visit by Brazilian Diplomat over Jerusalem Embassy Move
JERUSALEM, Israel – On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, signed in 1979, "stable and permanent," saying most Egyptians support the treaty. He made the comment during the World Youth Forum 2018 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Times of Israel reported.
Egypt was the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
Two days later, Egypt delayed a four-day visit by a top Brazilian diplomat scheduled for later this week, during which he would have met with el-Sisi.
Some analysts speculate the delay comes in response to President-elect Jair Bolsonaro's announcement to follow the US and Guatemala by moving Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem.
"As previously stated during our campaign, we intend to transfer the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel is a sovereign state and we shall duly respect that," Bolsonaro tweeted after his election.
Media pundits say the decision marks a change in Brazil's former support for the two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority has long claimed eastern Jerusalem as the capital of its future state. PA officials reportedly appealed to el-Sisi to convince Bolsonaro not to relocate the embassy.
In his first foreign media interview, Bolsonaro talks about his plans for Brazil with Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Busmuth.
Qatar also criticized the president-elect's announcement at the United Nations, saying moving the embassy to the "occupied city Jerusalem city" is contrary to international consensus.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, welcomed Bolsonaro's announcement, calling it an "historic, correct and exciting step."
In a phone call that followed, Netanyahu told the president-elect his election "will lead to a great friendship between our peoples and the tightening of links between Brazil and Israel. We await your visit to Israel."
Bolsonaro will be sworn in on January 1, 2019.
