Washington suspends military aid worth US$235 million to Cairo

The newly appointed Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin, has announced that the US will suspend military aid to Egypt worth US$235 million. The decision comes in light of Cairo's perceived lack of progress concerning the human rights situation, despite Egyptian authorities' efforts. Egypt receives an estimated 1.3 billion US dollars annually in military aid, following the signing of the first peace agreement between an Arab country and Israel in 1979, which was mediated by the US. The US administration links about $300 million of this annual aid to the extent of Cairo’s commitment to pledges related to its human rights record. The Egyptian House of Representatives recently criticized the European Parliament after it issued a statement expressing discontent with the human rights situation in Egypt, urging the parliament to instead focus on European affairs. The house highlighted how European countries have been more welcoming towards Ukrainian refugees while ignoring refugees from the Middle East.