Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has caused a major stir in the international diplomatic arena by becoming the first Egyptian head of state in decades to publicly refer to Israel as an “enemy.”
The statement, which marks a notable shift in Egypt’s official tone toward its neighbor, was confirmed by the head of the State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan, during a broadcast on local television. According to Rashwan, al-Sisi made these remarks in a speech delivered on Monday during the Arab-Islamic summit held in Qatar, an event that brought together leaders from the Arab and Muslim world to discuss the growing tensions in the region. In his address, al-Sisi stressed that “the enemy” —referring directly to Israel— must understand that the countries of the region are firmly united in their stance and not fragmented, sending a clear message of cohesion and resistance in the face of Israel’s recent actions in the Gaza
Strip, which were once again strongly condemned during the meeting. This statement carries significant historical weight, as Rashwan noted that it is the first time since 1977 that an Egyptian president has used such direct language to refer to Israel. In that year, then-President Anwar al-Sadat shocked the world by announcing his historic visit to Jerusalem, an unprecedented move that eventually led to the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979, making Egypt the first Arab country to establish official diplomatic relations with the Israeli state.
Al-Sisi’s words therefore break with more than four decades of moderate diplomatic language and suggest a hardening of Egypt’s position amid the current escalation of violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
