Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak announced here in a meeting in his home with the president of B’nai B’rith International last month that although he has no plans to return an ambassador to Israel in the near future, he will be sending a personal representative to the Jewish nation. Mubarak told Gerald Kraft that his representative will be involved in efforts to improve Israeli-Egyptian relations.
The Egyptian leader declared that his country’s peace with Israel is neither fragile nor temporary and added that he believes that the two Middle Eastern nations will have lasting and friendly ties. Mubarak’s statements were in response to comments from Kraft, who emphasized the need for some “positive movement” in the relationship between Israel and Egypt. The time for a new initiative, Kraft said, “is especially appropriate” now because Israel has a new government and the United States, whose efforts led to the Camp David accord, has elected a new Congress.
Citing the historic nature of the Camp David treaty, Kraft said that while the accord is evidence of the intentions of Israel and Egypt, their relationship “should be heightened”, even if it requires both governments to alter their attitudes. “This is the time to begin the process leading to further negotiations,” the B’nai B’rith president said.
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