Cabinet Approves in Principle Navon’s Visit to Egypt

The Cabinet. today approved in principle the visit of President Yitzhak Navon to Egypt at the invitation of President Anwar Sadat. However, the date for his visit has not yet been fixed. The invitation was presented to Navon last Thursday by Egyptian Ambassador Sood Mortoda. Sadat, in his letter of invitation, thanked Navon for his message of congratulations on the occasion of Egypt’s Revolutionary Day last month and expressed the hope that Navon’s visit would contribute to strengthening the peace process, security and stability in the region.

Navon used the opportunity in his meeting with Mortoda to complain about the attacks against Premier Menachem Begin in the Egyptian press and said such attacks are an insult to every Israeli regardless of his political position. He also told Mortoda that his acceptance of the invitation would be subject to Cabinet approval. Several. Cabinet ministers had questioned the necessity for accepting the invitation at this time.

There is a strong feeling in Jerusalem that the Egyptians have brought relations with Israel to a new low. The immediate manifestations of this deterioration are the suspension of the autonomy talks, the Egyptian-Rumanian agreement for a new Mideast peace initiative and the anti-Begin campaign in the Egyptian press, especially the cartoon last week in the Cairo newspaper, Al-Gumhouriya, depicting Hitler handing a medal to Begin and then, after Israel protested this as a distance and as shame of, publishing on apology — to Hitler.

Viewed against this background, the invitation to Navon is seen as yet another anti-Begin gesture. Begin is still waiting for an invitation from Sadat to address Egypt’s Parliament in return for Sadat’s address to the Knesset in November 1977.