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Rare visit to Israel by Egypt’s oil minister sends signals to Biden, Erdogan
[IsraelTimes] The trip, following similar delegations of Greek and Cypriot leaders, is intended to show that the regional allies are united and coordinated, both against friends and foes.

Analysts say that one of the key purposes of the meetings — beyond the energy discussions — was to send a message to Turkey, and its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Although the visit of Egypt’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister to Israel on Sunday had the trappings of a routine discussion about energy cooperation by regional partners, it also sent a message to rivals and to the United States.

Tarek el-Molla’s trip was noteworthy for the mere fact that he was the first Egyptian minister to visit Israel since foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met with Netanyahu in 2016. And El-Molla is no minor player. "El-Molla is very close to Sisi," pointed out Gabriel Mitchell of the Mitvim Institute, an Israel-based think tank. "He is arguably one of the most visible Egyptian ministers outside the presidency."
Posted by: trailing wife 2021-02-22
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=595383