The Israeli-Egyptian Gas Deal Has Trump’s Blessing

Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 18 December 2025
by Gudrun Harrer (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Peter Carioca. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
The U.S. is working on a meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Sisi. But as long as there is no progress in Gaza, this will be difficult.

Considerable pressure from Washington was needed for Israel to close its biggest gas deal ever. President Donald Trump wants people to see what would happen under normal circumstances: that Middle Eastern countries conduct business with one another, and that they both profit from it. But even if Trump claims otherwise, there is still no peace in the Middle East.

Israel has gas and Egypt urgently needs it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hesitant to approve the new $37 billion export package. This was due, in part, to domestic Israeli electricity pricing considerations, but during wartime in Gaza, a large expansion of Israeli-Egyptian business relations remains highly political. Cooperation exists between the two countries, but with open and widespread criticism.

Difficult Meeting

Egypt has gained political stature in the last two years, but when it comes to Gaza, one can’t get around Cairo. Trump is forcing Netanyahu to acknowledge this. But Trump doesn't do anything for free. He wants something from Egypt as well. America is working on a meeting between Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Until now, Cairo has strictly rejected this proposal and wants a clear explanation of what Israel's true intentions are in the Gaza Strip. Sisi has a sensitive public at home that doesn't want to see him as a campaign worker for Netanyahu.


Der israelisch-ägyptische Gasdeal ist einer von Trumps Gnaden

Die USA arbeiten an einem Treffen zwischen Premier Netanjahu und Präsident Sisi. So lange es keinen Fortschritt in Gaza gibt, ist das schwierig

Für den größten Gasdeal, den Israel je abgeschlossen hat, bedurfte es am Schluss noch ziemlichen Druck aus Washington. US-Präsident Donald Trump will, dass sichtbar wird, was in normalen Zeiten normal wäre: Dass die Staaten des Nahen Ostens miteinander Geschäfte machen, von denen beide profitieren. Aber auch wenn Trump das behauptet: Es gibt noch keinen Frieden im Nahen Osten.

Israel hat das Gas, und Ägypten braucht es dringend. Premier Benjamin Netanjahu bewilligte das neue Exportpaket im Umfang von 37 Milliarden US-Dollar nur zögernd. Das hatte nicht zuletzt mit innerisraelischen Strompreisabwägungen zu tun. Aber in Zeiten des Gazakriegs ist eine so massive Ausweitung der israelisch-ägyptischen Geschäftsbeziehungen hochpolitisch. Zwischen den beiden Staaten funktioniert die Zusammenarbeit noch immer, aber auf offener Bühne hagelt es Vorwürfe.

Schwieriges Treffen

Ägypten hat in den letzten beiden Jahren an politischer Statur gewonnen; bei allem, was Gaza betrifft, kommt man nicht um Kairo herum. Trump zwingt Netanjahu dazu, das einzugestehen. Aber von Trump kommt nichts gratis, er will auch etwas von Ägypten. Die USA arbeiten an einem Treffen zwischen Netanjahu und Präsident Abdelfattah al-Sisi. Kairo lehnt das bisher strikt ab und will vor allem erst einmal Klarheit darüber, was Israel im Gazastreifen wirklich vorhat. Sisi hat zu Hause eine sensible Öffentlichkeit, die ihn nicht als Wahlkampfhelfer für Netanjahu sehen will.
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