Egyptian national security expert Mohamed Makhlouf described President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit to Doha as "of utmost importance and at a crucial time," refuting attempts to sow discord between Egypt and Qatar.
In statements to RT, Makhlouf emphasized that the warm welcome President Sisi received in Doha reflects "the extent of mutual respect and appreciation between the two brotherly leaderships," considering the visit "a clear message to the enemies of the Arab and Islamic nation that all attempts to sow discord have failed."
The Egyptian expert explained that this visit constitutes a "severe blow to both Israel and the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood organization," noting that it "thwarted their plans to destabilize Egyptian-Qatari relations." He also considered that "Egypt exercises its regional role with great responsibility, as it considers Gulf security an integral part of its national security."
On the economic front, Makhlouf praised the agreement on a $7.5 billion Qatari investment package in Egypt, stressing that "Egypt offers unique investment opportunities in a safe and stable environment."
On the political front, the Egyptian expert emphasized that the visit strengthened the unified Arab stance on the Palestinian issue, noting that the joint statement emphasized "the centrality of the Palestinian issue as a primary Arab issue" and supported the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state.
Makhlouf believes that the visit succeeded in nipping the bud at the seams, preventing it from growing and taking the successes achieved by the two countries over the past months in support of the Palestinian people and cause, and to affirm the strength of bilateral relations between Egypt and Qatar. This is a message to the enemies of the Arab and Islamic nations that any attempts to drive a wedge between us will not succeed and will be shattered on the rock of insistence on Arab and Islamic unity. The time has come and the opportunity is ripe to achieve Arab integration and alignment in the face of these unprecedented challenges that aim to divide the ranks.
Makhlouf concluded his remarks by emphasizing that "the visit succeeded in strengthening Arab solidarity in the face of regional and international challenges," adding that "the current situation calls for greater integration and unity among Arab countries."
In an attempt to drive a wedge between Egypt and Qatar, particularly following the recent allegations surrounding the "Qatar Jet" affair and Doha's official denial, and Cairo's announcement of the strength of its relationship with Qatar following Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit to Doha yesterday, Hebrew media outlets claimed that Qatar is Egypt's greatest enemy.
He added that while diplomatic talks are underway in Cairo, Tel Aviv, and Doha in an attempt to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and move forward with a prisoner exchange deal, the question that arises is: Who is really pulling the strings behind the scenes?
According to various reports, Egypt and Israel have already exchanged drafts of the proposed agreement, which includes the release of eight live hostages and eight bodies in exchange for a temporary truce of between 40 and 70 days and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners.
Maariv reported that behind the official talks, a regional battle for control is raging, according to Lt. Col. (res.) Eli Dekel, a former intelligence officer and current expert on Egyptian affairs. He said: “Egypt has a long-standing dream of leading the Arab world. It constantly seeks to assume a leadership position and participates in all negotiations between Israel and Hamas because it wants to be part of the agreement, part of the dialogue, not stand on the sidelines. Egypt wants to lead and mediate, but its main problem is the country’s weak economy.”
According to Dekel, Egypt was indeed a major conduit for arms transfers to Gaza, but it was not the party that financed them: “It is true that almost all the weapons passed through it, but it did not finance them; rather, Qatar and Iran financed them,” he claimed.
He added: "It's true that it helped, and without it, Hamas wouldn't have existed and the current war wouldn't have broken out, I think. But Qatar is still the richest country. Before the current war began, we used to turn to Egypt whenever a dispute broke out between us and Hamas. Egypt mediated and guaranteed a ceasefire agreement that lasted two, three, or a month. But on the bigger issues, Qatar was the one who controlled things and made the decisions from the beginning of the war."
According to Dekel, Qatar has a clear advantage over Egypt, making it the most important and influential mediator. “Every time negotiations have been held since the beginning of the prisoner war, Qatar has initiated the negotiations and made proposals. In the end, the agreement was signed solely thanks to Qatar. Qatar has more influence over Hamas than Egypt. It has the money and international support. And that’s the story—a never-ending struggle over who will lead and who will rule,” he said.
He continued: "The conflict also has a deep ideological dimension, touching on the roots of the conflict within the Arab world itself. It is important to remember that Qatar itself is considered an enemy by a large portion of the Arab League members, due to its affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, who are sworn enemies of Egypt. As you may recall, Egypt has a feud with the Muslim Brotherhood, and Qatar is their banker. This is the conflict behind the negotiations."