Egypt reacts angrily to U.S. aid cuts
But statement on Kushner meeting with el-sissi makes no mention
CAIRO — Egypt reacted angrily Wednesday to the Trump administration’s decision to cut or delay nearly $300 million in military and economic aid over human rights concerns.
Hours after the U.S. announcement, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Egypt as part of a Middle East tour to try to revive Arab-israeli peace talks. He met with President Abdel-fattah el-sissi and later conferred with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry before leaving for Israel.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Cairo regretted the U.S. decision, calling it a “misjudgment of the nature of the strategic relations that have bound the two countries for decades.” The move, it said, “reflects a lack of careful understanding of the importance of supporting the stability and success of Egypt.”
It warned that the cuts may have “negative consequences for the realization of common U.s.-egyptian interests.” It did not elaborate.
However, an Egyptian presidential statement on Kushner’s meeting with el-sissi made no mention of the aid cuts and delays. El-sissi, a general-turned-president who has repeatedly stated his admiration for Trump, showed none of the frustration expressed by the Foreign Ministry as he smiled while posing for a ceremonial photo with Kushner in the Egyptian leader’s opulent Cairo palace.
El-sissi spoke to Kushner and his delegation about “Egypt’s keenness to continue to work on strengthening the multi-faceted relations that bind the two countries in various fields,” the statement said.
Prominent rights lawyer Gamal
Eid said U.S. demands for Egypt to improve its rights record were “legitimate” given what he said was a surge in violations.
“The government must now convince its American friends that what it’s doing in the field of human rights serves democracy and stability,” Eid said. “It’s in a bind, and anything it does now will be seen as a means to secure U.S. aid.”