US defense secretary praises Egypt’s role in easing Israeli-Palestinian tension

ANKARA (AA/AFP) – US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has hailed Egypt’s role in easing tensions between Israel and Palestinians.

Austin met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday as part of a regional tour that also included Jordan. Egyptian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohamed Zaki attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the US defense secretary reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the bilateral relationship and exchanged views on shared regional and global security challenges, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Austin “praised Egypt’s regional and global leadership, in particular thanking the President for Egypt’s role mediating Israeli-Palestinian tensions,” the statement said.

According to the statement, talks between the two sides dwelt on developments regarding “Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, its global economic consequences, and the threat that this conflict poses to the rules-based international order.”

“The Secretary highlighted US solidarity with Egypt in the face of the economic hardship caused by Russia’s brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified war,” it added.

Austin “emphasized the United States’ enduring commitment to the region and reinforced that progress on fundamental freedoms and human rights further strengthens our bilateral relationship,” the statement said.

Task Force 153

The Pentagon chief also met with his Egyptian counterpart during which he “praised Egypt for taking command of the Combined Maritime Forces’ Task Force 153, which focuses on Red Sea security”.

Austin highlighted the “upcoming combined exercise, BRIGHT STAR 23, as a demonstration of Egypt’s leadership and the strength of continued US-Egypt cooperation to improve regional security and credible deterrence.”

He also affirmed “his commitment to enhancing interoperability between US and Egyptian armed forces,” the statement said.

In Dec. 2022, Egyptian naval forces assumed new international missions in the Red Sea, including the Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, after assuming command of Task Force 153 for the first time, which was established by the US in April 2022.

The Pentagon chief’s stop in Cairo came on the heels of his surprise visit to Baghdad ahead of the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, as well as after talks in Amman with staunch US ally King Abdullah II.

In both the Iraqi and Jordanian capitals, Austin spoke of the US’s commitment to security and stability in the region.

The US sends over $1 billion a year in direct military aid to Egypt, which has been one of the largest recipients of US assistance since it became the first Arab nation to normalise relations with Israel in 1979.

Though voices within the US Congress had called for broader aid cuts to Egypt over its notorious human rights record, President Joe Biden withheld only $130 million in 2021.

In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Sisi to “free all political prisoners” — of which rights groups estimate Egypt holds some 60,000 — while welcoming the “important strides” the country has made.