Days after presidential election in Egypt, Israeli members of Knesset will meet with Egyptian counterparts, including members of Muslim Brotherhood, in effort to pave way for talks between higher echelons

By Moran Azulay

A delegation of members of Knesset will travel to Washington next week and meet with Egyptian parliament members, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ynet reported Monday.

Anti-Israel protest in Cairo - Photo: AFP

The rare meeting will take place days after the second round of presidential elections in Egypt, and will be mediated by American officials.

The MKs, including Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) and Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beiteinu), are scheduled to leave for Washington on Sunday, and will stay in the US capital for four days, during which they will attend a conference and meet with their Egyptian counterparts.

Sources in the Knesset said the trip was initiated and partly funded by the Foreign Ministry, with the aim of opening a new channel of communication that could lead to talks between higher ranks in the future.

However, some senior Knesset officials expressed disappointment over the selected delegation members, claiming they are low-ranking MKs who have not served in senior positions in the government or the Knesset.

The officials said they are concerned the Egyptians will also send a low-ranking delegation, which will prevent the sides from making headway.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has stated that it is unfamiliar with the matter.

Since the 2011 revolution in Egypt, and the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, relations between Jerusalem and Cairo have deteriorated, and many Israeli officials have expressed concern over the future of the peace treaty between the two countries.

View the original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4241166,00.html