Zaire President Visiting Israel

President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire arrived in Israel on an official visit today, getting as lavish a reception as the country’s strained budget would allow. He was greted at Ben Gurion Airport by President Chaim Herzog who observed that the entire Israeli people welcomed him because, unlike so much of the “cynical world”, he had renewed diplomatic ties with Israel “on grounds ot morality.”

The African leader is returning the visit Herzog made to Zaire a year ago. He will be here for six days, the first three at the government’s invitation and the remainder in a private capacity as the guest of the Anglo-Jewish financier Leon Tamman who has business interests in Israel and Zaire.

Mobutu arrived in a Zaire Air Line plane, escorted by four Israel Air Force jet fighters which met it at the boundaries of Israeli air space. He came with a huge entourage — 110 people — and because there were not enough official limousines to accomodate them all, the government hired a fleet of taxis for the drive to Jerusalem. The official party was greeted at the outskirts of the capital by Mayor Teddy Kollek who offered them the traditional bread and salt.

After the boom of a 21-gun salute at the airport and marches played by a military band, Herzog escorted his visitor to the reception line which included, in addition to Premier Shimon Peres, the President of the Supreme Court, the Speaker of the Knesset, Cabinet Ministers, the Chief of Staff and senior Israel Defense Force officers.

Herzog and Mobutu exchanged warm greetings in French. Both expressed the certainty that this visit would further strengthen the relations between Zaire and Israel in the cause of peace. Herzog noted that the President of Zaire wears the badge of the IDF paratroop corps. He earned it as a trainee in Israel years ago.