Egypt's Sisi backtracks on 'expanding peace with Israel' comments

Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi’s recent statements that more Arab countries should make peace with Israel were mistranslated, a presidential spokesman has said.

Alaa Youssef said on Monday the translation of Sisi’s interview with AP was "inaccurate" and that Sisi addressing the "positive results" of the peace treaty on the region.

"Sisi spoke about the idea of bringing out peace throughout the whole region and its positive results for all peoples and the Arab states’ relations with Israel," Youssef said.

As a matter of fact, what I specifically said was that we have an experience of peace, which is a sound foundation that we can build on - Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi

"Establishing a Palestinian state and bringing about comprehensive and sustainable peace in the Middle East according to the Arab peace initiative would create a new reality that allows peace between Egypt and Israel to extend to the rest of the Arab states," the presidential spokesman said.

He added that peace will not be achieved without the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Monday, AP quoted Sisi as saying: "Efforts should be renewed to solve the Palestinian issue and expand Egypt’s nearly 40-year peace with Israel to include more Arab countries."

CNN interview

The Egyptian President further clarified and expanded on these comments in an interview with CNN, "As a matter of fact, what I specifically said was that we have an experience of peace, which is a sound foundation that we can build on," said Sisi.

"We need this peace to expand and in order to do that we will have to come up with a real solution to the Palestinian issue,” he added.

Sisi then called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to take further positive steps towards the two state solution and establishing the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He added: "This would create a peaceful environment in the whole region and would be one of the most important keys to fighting terrorism in the region and perhaps in the whole world."

Israeli praise

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised Sisi’s call to expand Egypt's peace treaty with Israel to include more Arab countries.

In a statement released from his office, Netanyahu also called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiating table.

Press freedom in Egypt

Sisi also touched on freedom of the press in Egypt in his interview with CNN, "I do not want to exaggerate, but we have unprecedented freedom of expression in Egypt. No one in Egypt can bar anyone working in media or journalism or on TV from expressing their views," he said.

	Al-Jazeera journalists have been released [Getty]

Egypt is currently holding the highest number of journalists behind bars since record keeping began, with most accused of affiliation with ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Last week, Sisi pardoned imprisoned al-Jazeera journalists Mohammad Fahmy and Baher Mohammad, just before travelling to New York to give a speech at the UN.

In his speech at the 70th UN General Assembly debate on Monday night, Sisi implored world leaders to unite in the fight against terrorism.

"Allow me to ask, how many Muslims must fall victim to this abominable extremism and odious terrorism to convince the world that all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims alike are fighting the same enemy, facing the same threat," asked Sisi.