A group of 52 Senators led by Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D. Ohio) has intensified pressure on Egypt to return its Ambassador to Israel. In a letter sent yesterday to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, the bipartisan group of solons expressed extreme concern “about the apparent reluctance of your government to restore political and diplomatic dialogue by returning your Ambassador to Israel.”
The Senators recalled that last June, a month after Israel signed an agreement with Lebanon to withdraw its forces if other foreign forces were also withdrawn, Mubarak told members of Congress that the Egyptian envoy would soon be sent back. “That step has not been taken,” the Senators wrote.
When Mubarak visited Washington a week ago, legislators also pressed the issue of the Ambassador. The Egyptian leader made it clear, in his talks with the Congressmen and with President Reagan that he needed a good reason to return the Ambassador or he would face serious domestic political opposition. He did not indicate when the envoy would be returned.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
