President Reuven Rivlin was the guest of Ambassador Khaled Azmi of Egypt at a reception this evening, Wednesday, to celebrate Egypt’s 67th National Day.
At the beginning of his remarks, the president sent his warmest greetings to the Egyptian people on their national day and his personal appreciation to President Abd-al Fattah al-Sisi for his important work in strengthening relations between Israel and Egypt.
“Just two weeks ago, I had the honor of hosting an event to celebrate 40 years of the peace treaty between our two countries. The peace accord between Israel and Egypt was a life changing experience. From war and hatred, to peace with our neighbors,” the president said.
He added, “That is the role of leaders, such as Sadat and Begin: to make brave decisions, to change history. Egypt remains a leader of the Arab world. Its leadership carries responsibility, as your country exhibits in Gaza every day. It also carries power. May that power be used to advance peace, freedom and equality.”
The president concluded his remarks with his hopes for warm peace between the two states and the people, saying, “Israel still prays that our peace will become a warm one. We want to know you better so that we can build our economies, share our ancient cultures and create good and safe lives for the peoples of both of our countries. So let me express this hope as we celebrate together tonight. Let us work together to find more ways for Egyptians and Israelis to meet each other, to work together, to improve lives for us all and to continue the work begun forty years ago.”