Mrs. Lillian Carter, President Carter’s mother, left Israel for Egypt today, ending a five-day visit, her second to this country since she attended Golda Meir’s funeral in 1978. After an escorted tour of the Yod Holocaust Memorial yesterday, Mrs. Carter remarked that it would be good if every American could visit the site because people have so little information on the Holocaust.
She also visited the Western Wall where, according to custom, she wrote a wish on a small piece of paper and placed it between the ancient stones. She would not tell what her wish was but said “it was a good one.” Reporters accompanying Mrs. Carter asked it she would want to meet Palestinians. She replied, “I wouldn’t be able to tell between a Palestinian and an Israeli, they are all so friendly here.”
Asked about her son Billy Carter’s frequent anti-Israel remarks, she replied, “Billy is friendly but he drinks too much.”
Mrs. Carter attended a reception given in her honor last night by Premier Menachem Begin and his wife, Aliza and they exchanged gifts. Begin presented his guest with a leather-bound Hebrew-English Bible and Mrs. Begin gave her an Israel-made silver brooch. Mrs. Carter gave Begin a giant blow-up photograph of himself, Carter and President Anwar Sadat at the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, signing ceremony. The picture was signed by the President, “With thanks and admiration to my friend Menachem Begin.”
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