By Hussein al-Kabbani

CAIRO

French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Roumtier has described recent speculation about alleged plans to establish a Palestinian state in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as “madness”, according to Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency.

“The state of Palestine should be established on Palestinian territory,” Roumtier said late Thursday on the sidelines of a symposium held in Cairo.

Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s longstanding rejection of any Middle East peace settlement that would require Egypt to give up sovereign territory.

Roumtier also criticized last week’s decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“Trump’s decision means there will be no mediator for Palestine-Israel negotiations because Washington has forfeited that role,” the ambassador said.

On Dec. 6, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city.

The shift in Washington’s longstanding Middle East policy sparked angry demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in several Muslim countries.

At a Tuesday summit convened in Istanbul, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) responded to the U.S. move by recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

In April, Russia recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, voicing hope that the city's eastern half might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.

Notably, in his announcement last week, Trump stressed that the “specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem” should be decided in final-status talks between the two sides.