Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has expressed willingness to meet top Israeli officials, a report in the Yisrael Hayom newspaper said Sunday. His preference, the report said, would be to meet with President Shimon Peres.

The report, quoting a senior Israeli official, said that if such a meeting takes place it would occur in Washington, shortly after the U.S. election. During the meeting, the two officials would attempt to set a new basis for the sour relations between Israel and Egypt, which nearly fell apart after an Egyptian mob stormed the Israeli embassy in Cairo last year.