Fifty prominent Egyptian Jews, who were interned for “security” reasons by the Egyptian Government May, 1948, when the new state of Israel was constituted, were released and given permission to immigrate to Israel, according to a cable received today by the American Jewish Committee.
The release of these fifty Egyptian Jews from their internment at El Tor, on the Red Sea, by the Egyptian Government for alleged Zionist activities, culminates 12 months of effort on the part of the American Jewish Committee, the World Council of Churches and the International Red Cross to secure their freedom, it was revealed by Dr. John Slawson, executive vice-president of the American Jewish Committee.
The cable also stated that the Egyptian Government is returning the property which it sequestered from the internees under emergency regulations, and is taking action to facilitate their immigration to Israel. From other reports received by the American Jewish Committee, Dr. Slawson said, it can be assumed that the situation of the Jews of Egypt, which had deteriorated as a result of the strained relationships between the Arab countries and the state of Israel, seems to be improving.
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