The first Embassy of Israel in the Arab world was formally opened in Cairo today. The blue-and-white flag with the Star of David was hoisted over a two-story tan building in the fashionable Dokki section of the Egyptian capital at 10 a.m. local time and a plaque was unveiled with the words “Embassy of Israel” in Hebrew, Arabic and English.
The ceremonies were in a low key. The advance staff of the Israeli diplomatic mission song Hatikva as the colors were hoisted. Some Egyptians watched from the terraces of neighboring buildings but many passersby seemed unaware of the event. Yossef Hoddas, the Israeli Charged d’Affaires who will head the Embassy until Ambassador-designate Eliahu Ben-Elissar arrives in Cairo next Sunday, made a brief speech in which he expressed the hope that other Arab countries will follow the example of Egypt and make peace with Israel. “Let us hope that other Arab leaders will join the peace process which the leaders of both our countries have done so much to build for good neighborly relations between our peoples,” Hoddas said. The Israeli diplomat, who was born in Syria, spoke in Arabic.
Ben-Elissar will present his credentials to President Anwar Sadat on Feb. 26. Egypt’s Ambassador-designate, Sood Monada, will present his to President Yitzhak Navon in Jerusalem on the same day. According to reports from Cairo, he will also hand the Israeli President a note stressing that Egypt does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Its Embassy will be located in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli advance party arrived in Cairo yesterday. Haddas, accompanied by Zvi-Gobbai, Councillor to the Embassy, visited the building which, he pointed out, will serve only temporarily as the Israeli legation. More suitable and presumably-less expensive premises, are being sought to house the Embassy permanently. The Israelis are paying $3500 per month rent for the building in the Dokki section. It is on a residential block and has been under heavy guard by Egyptian police and plain-clothesmen ever since the Israelis rented it.
Furniture and office equipment reached the premises several days ago in a two-truck convoy that took the overland route to Egypt via Sinai. As of this morning, the Embassy’s four telephone lines and telex connections were functioning and their numbers were published.
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