According to a report by Axios news on December 7, sources said that the United States is currently trying to mediate between Israel and Qatar and Egypt to restore diplomatic relations. On July 7, the U.S. arranged a trilateral meeting between the U.S., Qatar, and Israel, and hopes to facilitate a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Egyptian President Sisi.

Previously, on September 9, Israel launched an air strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, the capital of Qatar, without prior communication or permission, which severely damaged diplomatic relations between Israel and Qatar. Qatar once withdrew from its mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu apologized to Qatar later in September under pressure from U.S. President Trump, but bilateral relations remained very cold.

Israel bombed Doha, the capital of Qatar, in September AFP

The report said that the trilateral meeting organized by the U.S. on July 7 was chaired by Trump's special envoy Witkowski, with Mossad director David Banyan representing Israel, and a senior official from Qatar attending. This is the highest-level meeting between Qatar and Israel since the ceasefire in Gaza, and it also comes at a time when the Trump administration is preparing to announce a new phase in the Gaza peace process.

The report said that although Netanyahu had previously expressed his intention to take this opportunity to express his dissatisfaction with Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Al Jazeera TV network, which is seen as hostile to Israel, as well as the anti-Israeli movement at American universities, the focus of this trilateral meeting should be on the implementation of the Gaza peace agreement, especially sensitive issues such as disarming Hamas.

However, Qatar and Israel have always maintained a delicate relationship. For example, the report said that Netanyahu had asked Qatar to provide economic support for governing Gaza from 2018 to 2023, but this support also factually supported Hamas' military construction, which has drawn criticism from Israel. On the other hand, several advisors of Netanyahu are suspected of receiving funds from Qatar to help improve Qatar's image in Israel and internationally, and are currently under investigation.

Meanwhile, in an effort to restore relations between Egypt and Israel, the U.S. has chosen to facilitate a meeting between Netanyahu and Sisi. However, as a prerequisite for the meeting between the two leaders, the U.S. is urging Israel to approve a strategic gas agreement with Egypt, through economic means enabling Israel to establish a new model of engagement with the Arab world.

Egyptian President Sisi BBC

The report said that the gas agreement would be worth billions of dollars. If the agreement is reached, Israel will supply about 25% of its electricity to Egypt in the form of natural gas. Chevron, an American oil company, will also participate. Sisi has already approved the agreement despite opposition within Egypt. However, Israel has not yet completed the process.

Currently, the U.S. is trying to push Israel to quickly reach this agreement and use it as a model for Israel's engagement with Arab countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Kushner, Trump's advisor and son-in-law, told Netanyahu that Israel needs to prove that it can offer more than just "bad news" to neighboring countries. Some U.S. officials believe that the AI industry, natural gas resources, and water resources are all cards that Israel can use.

Under pressure from the U.S., Netanyahu has formed a team to prepare for meeting with Sisi by offering economic benefits. However, whether Netanyahu and Sisi can meet remains uncertain.

On one hand, according to sources, although Netanyahu said he wants to meet with Sisi, he has not really made any progress on this matter. Sisi is also not enthusiastic about the meeting. An Israeli source said that the two countries have not had significant strategic exchanges in the past two years.

On the other hand, Netanyahu previously rejected Trump's invitation to attend the Gaza peace summit held in Egypt in October. A source said that this upset Sisi greatly.

This article is exclusive to Observer, and may not be reprinted without permission.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7581287934473650734/

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