Book Fair Operating Smoothly

The Israeli exhibit at the international book fair in Cairo has been moved to a different location in the exhibition hall and was reported to be operating smoothly today after a series of embarrassing and provocative incidents before and after the fair opened last Thursday.

The situation of the Israeli display adjacent to the Palestinian stand made trouble inevitable from the start. When the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, Eliahu Ben-Elissar, visited his country’s booth, a raucous exchange developed between Israelis and Palestinians. The organizers of the fair responded by ordering the Israeli flog removed, a demand that triggered bitter indignation among the Israelis.

The Israel Publishers Association, which is sponsoring the exhibit, seriously considered withdrawing from the fair. But the Egyptians, aware of the serious repercussions this could have on the peace process, proposed that the Israeli stand be moved to the main exhibition hall where the Western countries’ pavilions are located. Previously, the Egyptians had claimed there was no room in that section.

The move was effected today but not before two leftist members of Egypt’s opposition party stationed themselves outside the Israeli stand to collect signatures on a petition calling for a boycott of the Israeli display. They shouted slogans against the infiltration of “Zionist culture” into Egypt. Both were arrested.

The book fair, the first international event in Egypt to which Israel was invited, almost became the cause of a serious incident when, a week before its opening, the fair organizers announced that Israel would be banned. They gave no explanation. The ban was rescinded late last week, apparently on the intervention of President Anwar Sadat after Israel protested. But a residue of ill feeling remained.

NOT SEEN AS OFFICIAL EGYPTIAN POLICY

Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir sought to smooth over the matter in an Israel Radio interview yesterday. He said he did not think the incidents at the book fair had anything to do with official Egyptian policy. “It would not be correct to speak about an Egyptian attitude,” Shamir said.” There are many trends in Egypt and Arab society who oppose the peace treaty and normalization of relations. We know that normalization is a lengthy process with many obstacles. We need much patience and wisdom to overcome these obstacles.”

Yehoshua Levy, head of the Israel publishers delegation now visiting Cairo, said on Israel Radio today that the Israeli books on display were selling well and that he has asked for additional copies of certain books to be flown to Cairo. He said the most popular items were the dictionaries.

The Israeli exhibit is clearly more comfortable located among the Western pavilions and is enjoying considerable popularity among local and foreign visitors to the fair. But Palestinians reportedly continue to picket nearby waving Palestine Liberation Organization flags. (By David Landau and Hugh Orgel)