President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi heads to Washington next week for a series of important meetings with US officials, Congress members and representatives of the business community. The most significant meeting will be held with US counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House on 9 April. Besides holding detailed discussions on strategic military and economic relations between the two countries, the Egyptian leader will likely brief Trump on the decisions of the Arab League Summit that concluded in Tunis on Sunday. Despite sharing the same view on several key challenges facing the Middle East region, topped with confronting the threat of terrorism, Al-Sisi will convey the joint Arab view in opposition to Trump's recent decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Syria's occupied Golan Heights. Coming a year after a similar decision to recognise Israel's control over occupied East Jerusalem, the Egyptian leader will warn of the consequences of such unilateral US decisions on any possible hope to revive the long-stalled Middle East peace process. In his speech in front of the Arab Summit, Al-Sisi stressed that there is no way out of the Arab-Israeli conflict except through reaching a just and comprehensive peaceful solution that returns the rights of the Palestinian people, namely their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. In recent weeks, Egypt confirmed that it views peace as a strategic interest, working hard with both Hamas and Israel to avoid an escalation of military confrontation in the Gaza Strip. Hopefully, the success of Egyptian efforts will be the first step towards easing the tough economic conditions that more than two million Palestinian people suffer in Gaza. The Egyptian leader said the Arabs have chosen peace and their hands are still stretched out for a comprehensive and just settlement, based on international law and UN Security Council resolutions. Without commitment to international law that prohibits the occupation of land by force in case of any armed conflict, true peace will not become a reality. Disregarding scores of UN resolutions that confirm that Israel must withdraw from occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories will end, once and for all, any confidence in the chance to reach a just settlement. Terrorist groups such as IS and Al-Qaeda gained a major propaganda tool after recent US decisions on occupied East Jerusalem and Syria's Golan. Thus, instead of concentrating on an all-out confrontation against all forms of terrorism, and seeking a better understanding between the Arab world and the United States, Trump's recent decision on Syria's Golan Heights creates needless tension in an already volatile region that's not short of troubles. While in Washington, Al-Sisi will also call for a prompt move within the framework of the Geneva peace talks to end the war in Syria. After the recent defeat of IS, it is high time the Syrian bloodletting stopped. Restoring the unity of Syrian territory and proceeding with reconstruction will be the only way to counter the negative regional influence by both Iran and Turkey, another joint Egyptian-American interest. Egyptian-American cooperation is also vital to achieve stability in neighbouring Libya. Like Syria, Libya faces the dangers of division and terrorism that threaten the national state and its institutions. In both countries, foreign terrorists serving the interests of regional powers also pose a major obstacle to any effort to restore stability. While in Washington, Al-Sisi will also be able to explain Egypt's success story in reforming its economy, despite all existing difficulties and regional instability. In this respect, US-Egyptian cooperation is vital, not in terms of economic assistance, but more through attracting US investment and opening American markets for Egyptian exports. Al-Sisi and Trump have built a successful working relationship since the US president took office more than two years ago. Hopefully, the upcoming visit to Washington will build on existing positive relations to benefit both countries and to serve their joint interests. There is no better time to reaffirm the strong relation between Egypt and the United States than the 40th anniversary of the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and Israel that changed the entire dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict and offered a successful model to follow for other Arab nations. The key premise that turned Camp David into a success was respect for international law and applying the principle of land for peace. If such a premise is followed in Palestinian and Syrian peace negotiations, peace will certainly have a chance.
