Today, Mr. Martin Nachimson, President, and Mr. Allen Fagin, Executive Vice President, of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, issued the following statement in response to a public statement made last week by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt:

“Last week, President el-Sisi publicly called for direct negotiations between the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians to work toward resolving their conflict. The Egyptian president said he is prepared to ‘make every effort’ in support of bilateral negotiations and cited the landmark Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty as a model. We are deeply gratified by President el-Sisi’s bold and enlightened leadership. Such a public statement by the President of Egypt is obviously significant and commensurate with the important role Egypt plays in the Arab world. Moreover, it is a reflection of President el-Sisi’s practical approach to addressing issues, which has included enhanced security cooperation with Israel.”

Allen Fagin was a member of a delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations who met with President el-Sisi in Cairo this past February.

[TLS – Press Release]