Rosenne Accuses Egypt of Violating Its Peace Treaty with Israel

Ambassador Meir Rosenne of Israel accused Egypt of violating its peace treaty with Israel. “Israel is worried and concerned over Egypt’s refusal to send back its Ambassador to Israel,” the envoy told the American Mizrachi Women’s national convention last night at the Sheraton Centre.

Egypt recalled its Ambassador, Saad Mortada, after the massacre by Christian Phalangists of refugees in the Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon. The Egyptians said at the time that their Ambassador would return to Israel after Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement, but has declined to do so to date.

Noting that Egypt has declared that it refuses to return its envoy to Israel because of Israel’s settlement policy in the West Bank, Rosenne said: “The Egyptians are clearly violating the peace treaty. If they will not send back their Ambassador we will have to think twice from now on before we sign any peace agreement with any other Arab country.”

Rosenne said that Israel made tremendous concessions for its peace treaty with Egypt, giving up the whole Sinai, the oil wells and the massive infrastructure of roads and airfields built by Israel. “After all these concessions,” he said, “we suddenly find that Egypt is violating the agreement.”

Turning to the issue of Lebanon, Rosenne warned that Lebanon’s right to exist independently is presently at stake. He said that over 60 percent of Lebanon is occupied by Syria, but Syria refuses to withdraw from Lebanon as it was asked to do by the Lebanese government. He charged that the international community turns its back on Syria’s continued occupation of Lebanon, and noted that the UN Security Council did not demand Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon nor has the European Economic Community imposed sanctions on Syria, as they did on Israel after the Lebanon invasion.

SOLON WARNS OF ARMS BUILDUP IN SYRIA

Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R. NY) received in the course of the meeting last night the American Mizrachi Women’s 1983 American Israel Friendship Award. It was presented to him by Roselle Silberstein, the organization’s national president.

In his remarks to the more than 250 guests attending the meeting, D’Amato warned of the massive arms buildup in Syria. He said that in addition to the Soviet made SAM-5 missiles in the hands of the Syrians the very sophisticated SS-21 Soviet missiles are “in Syrian hands or on their way there.”

He said the U.S. foreign policy must not be based on “political expediency” but on “justice.” He said a strong Israel is in America’s interest in the Mideast.