The highest level diplomatic dialogue between Israel and Egypt since the outbreak of the war in Lebanon in June, 1982, is presently taking place in Cairo, it was disclosed here today.
David Kimche, director general of the Foreign Ministry is in the Egyptian capital for political talks which Israeli sources said will cover the entire gamut of Middle East issues and a review of bilateral relations between Israel and Egypt.
Kimche left for Cairo yesterday and is expected to return late tomorrow. He is accompanied by the Ministry’s legal aide, Elyakim Rubinstein. The two Israeli officials are scheduled to meet with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Kamal Hassan Ali, and to hold working sessions with top officials of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Kimche may also call on President Hosni Mubarak, though no meeting between them has been announced.
The Israeli sources said the visit emerged from “bilateral diplomatic contacts.” They conceded, however, that the United States has been applying pressure on Egypt for some time to thaw the “cold peace” that has existed since Israel invaded Lebanon. The sources firmly denied that Kimche’s visit was connected in any way with the current tension in the region involving Syria and the U.S.
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.
