Former President Valery Giscard D’Estaing said today that he plans to visit Israel soon as a gesture of good will towards the Jewish State. Giscard, who during his seven years as President, steered France along on anti-Israeli and pro-Arab course, made this pledge at an election meeting in one of Paris’ Jewish areas. Giscard was speaking in support of Gaullist candidate Jacque Dominati who is running for the National Assembly in France’s first by-election since last June’s Socialist victory.
The former President did not say when he plans to visit Israel. Sources close to Giscard said Israeli Premier Menachem Begin invited him to Israel when the two met during Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s funeral last year.
MITTERRAND WILL ALSO VISIT ISRAEL
French sources said, in the meantime, that though President Francois Mitterrand has decided to postpone his forthcoming trip to Israel, initially scheduled for February 10, he will go to Israel before Israel’s final Sinai withdrawal April 26.
In a gesture of good will to Israel and France’s Jewish community, Mitterrand announced today that he will personally inaugurate next week an exhibition in honor of Israel’s late Moshe Dayan. Mitterrand, accompanied by Dayan’s widow, Rachel, will inaugurate a showing of drawings and etchings by French painter Raymond Moretti which will illustrate Dayan’s book, “Massad,” to be published in France next spring.
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