Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi referred to Israel as an "enemy" during his closing speech at the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha earlier this week.
Head of the Egyptian State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, commented in a Tuesday TV interview that "The last time the word ‘enemy’ was used by Egypt’s top official, or by any state official, was before" then-president Anwar Sadat visited Israel and spoke at the Knesset in 1977.
Sadat's visit was a major step on the path towards the 1979 Camp David Accords, which formalized a normalization of relations and a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Rashwan claimed that Sisi's referring to Israel as an enemy has "very significant implications," as "Egypt is under threat, and only an enemy threatens national security...a friend does not threaten your national security."
One of these threats to national security is the possible displacement of refugees from the Gaza Strip attempting to cross through the Rafah Border Crossing into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Rashwan noted.
Sisi's closing speech at the conference included a stated belief that Egypt, and its Arab partners, must "change our stances regarding the enemy's perception of us, so that they see any Arab country, extending from the ocean to the Gulf, has an umbrella that extends to all Islamic countries."
Sisi also said on Monday that Israel's current actions hindered any chances of new peace treaties in the Middle East.
In remarks aimed at Israel, he told the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha: "What is happening right now hinders the future of peace, threatens your security and the security of the peoples in the region and adds obstacles to chances for any new peace agreements and even aborts existing ones."
Egypt seeking to form NATO-style force, reports claim
Egypt is seeking to revive a joint Arab military force modeled on NATO, according to multiple Arabic-language reports on Saturday that link the move to the Israel-Hamas war and to an Arab-Islamic summit expected in Doha on Monday.
The sources include Lebanon’s pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper, which cited a government source in Cairo.
London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that Sisi is working to rebuild Arab backing for a rapid-reaction force that could deploy to protect any Arab state under attack, and said the proposal has been floated in recent diplomatic contacts ahead of the summit. The outlet framed the idea as a defensive umbrella rather than an escalation with Israel.
Palestinian outlet Ma’an carried similar details and said Cairo is discussing contributing around 20,000 Egyptian troops and seeking to place an Egyptian four-star officer in command, with Saudi Arabia as a principal partner if the plan advances. Ma’an characterized the discussions as ongoing.
Discussions are focusing on how such a body would operate, with Cairo stressing that it must be shaped in line with the demographics and military capacities of participating Arab countries.
GCC denounces Israel's strikes on Qatar
Gulf leaders said on Monday that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s joint defense body will meet in Doha following Israel's attack on Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital last week.
In a statement, the leaders called for measures to activate the bloc's "joint defense mechanism," adding that the GCC's Unified Military Command should "take the necessary executive measures to activate the mechanisms of joint defense and the Gulf deterrence capabilities."
The GCC also affirmed that Israel's strikes on Qatar violated the GCC's Joint Defense Agreement, which views aggression against one GCC member as aggression against all GCC members.
The GCC also warned that Israel's "aggression against the sisterly State of Qatar poses a direct threat to shared Gulf security, regional peace, and stability."
Jerusalem Post Staff, Reuters, and The Media Line contributed to this report.