President El-Sisi’s Speech at the Extraordinary Arab Summit

“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”

My brother, Your Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa,
King of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level

Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses,

Kings, Presidents, and Princes of Arab states,

H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit,
Secretary-General of the League of Arab States,

My brother, President João Lourenço,
President of the Republic of Angola, Chairperson of the African Union

H.E. Mr. António Guterres,
Secretary-General of the United Nations,

H.E. Mr. António Costa,
President of the European Council,

H.E. Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha,
Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

H.E. Mr. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi,
Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of International and Regional Organizations,

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon you

At the outset, I would like to extend sincere greetings and heartfelt gratitude to my brother, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, for his appreciated efforts during his chairmanship of the Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level.

My warmest greetings to you all and to our Arab and Muslim nations on the auspicious occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

It also gives me pleasure to welcome you to your second home, Egypt, the land of Kinana, that steadfastly upholds truth and justice, no matter how severe the hardships or how grave the calamities.

Your presence at today’s extraordinary summit, which convenes amidst a deeply intricate regional crisis and in response to the urgent plea of sister nation Palestine, underscores your unshakeable commitment to the legitimate causes of our nation.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses

Today, we are united by a painful reality of formidable challenges facing our region, which are nearly ravaging regional security and stability, shattering the remnant pillars of Arab national security, compromising stable Arab nations, and usurping Arab lands from their rightful owners... without any legal or legitimate basis.

Humanity’s collective memory will forever be burdened by the events in Gaza, documenting the profound failure of humanity and the eternal stain of shame the aggression on Gaza has etched into human history under the title: “The dissemination of hatred, the void of humanity and the absence of justice”.

The children and women of Gaza, who lost their loved ones, with tens of thousands of them killed and orphaned, now turn their pleading gaze to you with desperate hope for a just and everlasting peace.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses

The ferocious war against the Gaza Strip was unleashed to obliterate all facets of life, and sought, with the crushing weight of military might, to execute the forced depopulation of the sector, as if giving its inhabitants the choice between unavoidable annihilation and forced displacement. Egypt is resolutely confronting this perilous situation, grounded in its historical stance in support of the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to their ancestral lands and their dignified, honorable existence there, until we eradicate this injustice, in which we shall not be complicit.

The inhumane practices inflicted upon our people in Palestine have undermined the resolve of some. However, I have always maintained unwavering faith in the steadfastness and heroism of the proud Palestinian people. They have provided a powerful testament to resilience and unyielding commitment to their land; a testament that free peoples will forever observe with appreciation and admiration.

I tell you sincerely: ‘The boundless determination of the Palestinian people, and their immutable hold on their land stand as an embodiment of resilience in their relentless pursuit to restore their rights.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses

In this crucial moment, I recall that Egypt, which pioneered peace in our region almost five decades ago, and has consistently cherished and honored its commitments, advocates solely for a peace founded upon the principles of right and justice; one that safeguards the resources, preserves the land and secures sovereignty.

Perhaps this is what was stated, indisputably, in the peace treaty Egypt concluded in 1979. This peace treaty mandates that each party upholds the other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, thereby establishing a legal imperative against creating conditions that force inhabitants from their land, which would constitute a serious violation of the obligation to uphold the sanctity of secure borders.

Driven by its commitment to regional security and stability, Egypt has strived since the first day of the war on Gaza to reach a ceasefire, in cooperation with our brothers in Qatar and our friends in the United States. This would not have been achieved without President Donald Trump and his administration’s appreciated efforts, which we hope will persist and continue, with the aim of achieving a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, maintaining calm between the two sides, and instilling hope in the Palestinian people for the establishment of their independent state to foster eternal peace in the region among all peoples.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses

Egypt has collaborated with the brothers in Palestine, to form an administrative committee of professional and independent Palestinian technocrats, entrusted with the management of the Gaza Strip, based on the expertise of its members. This committee would be charged with overseeing the relief process and managing the affairs of the strip for a temporary period, paving the way for the return of the Palestinian Authority to the sector.

Egypt is also actively engaged in training Palestinian security personnel, who will be tasked with maintaining security within the sector in the coming phase.

In close collaboration with the State of Palestine and international institutions, Egypt is developing a comprehensive and integrated plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, without the displacement of the Palestinians. This shall begin with urgent relief operations and early recovery, leading to the reconstruction of the strip.

Egypt urges the adoption of this plan at our summit today and the mobilization of regional and international support. This plan is designed to safeguard the Palestinian people's fundamental right to rebuild their homeland and secures their enduring presence on their ancestral lands.

I emphasize that this plan shall encompass a concurrent trajectory for a peace initiative, addressing both political and security dimensions. This initiative shall actively involve the countries of the region, supported by the international community, to strive for a just, comprehensive, and sustainable resolution to the Palestinian issue.

From this platform, I call on all free and friendly nations to contribute to this endeavor and to engage effectively in the reconstruction conference Egypt will host next month.

Let us unite to make the channeling of support for this fund a noble goal and a moral imperative, ensuring every Palestinian child and every Palestinian family the right to live in a safe and civilized environment, equal to that of all peoples.

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses

Amid these escalating events, it is incumbent upon us all to uphold our categorical rejection and absolute condemnation of the heinous hostilities and violations perpetrated against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, including military assaults on West Bank cities and camps, as well as settlement expansions and confiscations of land.

In this context, once again, we utterly reject, and urgently warn against the dire repercussions of the unrelenting aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque, the deliberate desecration of its sanctity and the infringement upon its established status.

We state it unequivocally: ‘Jerusalem is not merely a city, but rather a symbol of our identity and our cause’.

The discourse about realizing peace in the Middle East without a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is void rhetoric and a futile endeavor.

There will be no genuine peace without the establishment of a Palestinian State. Let me reiterate: ‘Peace will never be attained by force, nor can it be imposed by coercion.

An independent Palestinian State, along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, must be established, while simultaneously providing all necessary assurances to safeguard Israel’s security.

The recurring cycles of futile violence and the unending suffering of the Palestinian people over the past seven decades urge us to adopt an objective assessment of reality and engage with the facts. It is imperative that we all unite to achieve the desired permanent peace, thereby establishing the foundation for stability, economic prosperity, and harmonious coexistence among the peoples of the region.

Consider the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, brokered by the United States, in 1979. It is a model to be emulated for transforming a state of animosity, war, and a desire for vengeance into lasting peace and mutual diplomatic relations.

The time has come to embark on a substantive and effective political pathway, conducive to a just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian cause, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy. I firmly believe that U.S. President Trump possesses the capacity to realize this objective, aligning with our sincere aspirations to bring an end to tensions and hostilities in our region.

Thank you

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon you