US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty earlier this week. It was reported that “the Secretary of State reinforced the importance of close cooperation to advance the day after the war, in order to ensure that Hamas can no longer control Gaza or threaten Israel.”
Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump presented Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with the idea of having Egypt and Jordan accepting Gazans into their territory.
“I would like to bring them to an area where they can live without interferences and revolutions … When you look at Gaza, you see that it’s been hell for so many years,” Trump said, adding, “So I think you can get people out of there, who will live in much safer and, maybe much better, and more comfortable areas.”
Secretary of State Rubio’s statement reaffirms the truth that must prevail and as Trump succinctly stated, el-Sisi is “living in a complicated part of the world.” Nothing is getting better in the Middle East and it’s time for out-of-the box thinking to solve the many ongoing problems. Terrorism is the number one issue in this region, and it would be quite the accomplishment to overcome initial objections and convince others in the region to work towards a common goal of allowing all non-terrorists to live in safety and peace. Stay tuned!