Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at the Knesset that the peace between Israel and Egypt is “robust” in his speech marking the fortieth anniversary of the historic visit to Israel’s Parliament of Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat.
“I have now met with the Egyptian ambassador to Israel, Hazem Khairat and his team, Netanyahu said. “He gave me greetings from Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Shukri, and I congratulated him on this important occasion.
“The peace between Israel and Egypt is robust, it is strategic peace benefiting both countries.
“At his speech at the Knesset, Sadat spoke clearly:
‘We do not want to surround you, or that you surround us with missiles meant to destroy, or with bombs of hatred and enmity. I have declared more than once that Israel is an existing fact.’
“This was the first step towards the peace treaty formulated In Camp David: a clear recognition of Israel.
“This is what Sadat did, unlike our Palestinian neighbors who to this day refuse to recognize our nation state.
“Sadly I say: I have yet to encounter a “Palestinian Sadat” that will declare his will to end the conflict, recognize the State of Israel with any borders, and support our right to live in peace and security.”