Ambassador Tawfik participated in a gala dinner hosted by Hands Along the Nile (HANDS) on October 16th , a not-for-profit organization that is committed to building bridges between the people of Egypt and the U.S. and supporting projects aimed at bringing socioeconomic stability to the Egyptian community.

A lively dialogue took place between the Ambassador and the guests who included Egyptian community leaders on the East Coast, executives of oil and gas corporations and U.S. businessmen and politicians. The dialogue was directed by HANDS President Graeme Bannerman. During his remarks, the Ambassador said, “Egypt plays a central role in realizing stability in the Middle East and rebuilding the social contract in the region, which was absent in the last few years resulting in increased violence, extremism and terrorism. The Egyptian traditional leading role in the region was evident in securing the Hamas-Israel cease-fire agreement, exerting efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table, hosting the Gaza reconstruction conference and helping Libya to restore order and rebuild its Army and Police, as well as the health and education sectors.”

Ambassador Tawfik condemned the terrorist acts of ISIS, which he believes contradict religions and human values—referring to its ideological roots, which were promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). He also called for confronting ISIS and like-minded groups using a comprehensive political and military approach. The Ambassador further said, “Egypt and the region were heading to a catastrophic situation under the rule of the MB, which supported the terrorists’ attempt to seize power in Mali and encouraged jihad in Syria turning the aspiration of the Syrian people for a better life to a sectarian conflict, leading to more extremism and terrorism in the world.”

The closing remarks of the Ambassador indicated that empowering women and youth and improving the health and education sectors are the top priorities for the Government of Egypt.