Labor MK Shoshana Arbelli-Almoslino has asked Defense Minister Ezer Weizman to investigate the circumstances that led to the alleged snub of the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Navy when the Israeli missile boat Tarshish passed through the Suez Canal last week. Arbelli-Almoslino, who is a Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, said the failure of the Egyptians to receive Navy Commander Zeev Almog with full honors amounted to a breach of protocol.
The Tarshish arrived at Port Said on December 18 enroute to Eilat via the Suez Canal. She was the first Israeli naval craft ever to call at an Egyptian port. Two other Israeli missile boats, the Haifa and Akko, had passed through the canal a day earlier enroute from Eilat to Haifa but did not make an official stopover.
The Egyptians claimed that they had no advance notice that Almog was aboard the Tarshish. When they Learned of his presence it was too late to arrange for an official greeting by his Egyptian counterpart who had previous engagements. In the event, the Tarshish was welcomed by the commander of the Egyptian naval base at Port Said, an officer of lower rank. According to an Israeli television report last night, the crew members of the Tarshish were disappointed with their reception.
But official sources here said today that there was no cause to blame the Egyptians. They acknowledged that the latter had been advised on short notice that the Tarshish would be calling at Port Said. Because of that, the Israelis decided not to request an official welcome.
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