In a call with Badr Abdelatty, the Egyptian foreign minister, on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked his counterpart “for Egypt’s mediation efforts in securing the release of hostages, for sustaining humanitarian assistance deliveries throughout Gaza and reinforced the importance of holding Hamas accountable,” according to Tammy Bruce, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman.
Rubio and Abdelatty “affirmed the importance of the U.S.-Egypt strategic partnership for promoting regional peace, security and stability,” and Rubio “reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza,” according to the U.S. readout.
David May, research manager and a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that although readouts of diplomatic calls tend to accentuate the positive, “this seems to indicate a different approach by the new administration.”
“The Biden administration alienated traditional Middle Eastern allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia by punishing them for human rights concerns. The Trump team seems to be signaling a return to friendlier ties,” May said. “Egypt has been a bit of a spoiler recently, turning a blind eye to Hamas smuggling that helped fortify the terrorist group in Gaza.”
“Perhaps the new administration’s carrot and stick approach will yield positive results,” he added, noting that Rubio enters his role at the helm in Foggy Bottom “with a wealth of foreign policy experience.”