Edgar Bronfman, World Jewish Congress President, will hold wide-ranging talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other governmental authorities during a three-day visit to Cairo next week as official guest of the Egyptian President, it was announced here today by the WJC. Bronfman will also be welcomed by the leadership of the Egyptian Jewish community at a reception in his honor, according to the announcement.
The invitation to Bronfman for an official visit to Egypt was originally extended by the late President Anwar Sadat during the last private meeting between the two at the time of Sadat’s trip to New York last August. Mubarak subsequently confirmed the invitation and shortly after assuming office communicated to the WJC his personal desire to meet with Bronfman.
TRIP’S CENTRAL PURPOSE
Israel Singer, WJC executive director, who will be accompanying Bronfman to Egypt, summed up the trip’s central purpose as “reinforcing the ongoing process of normalization between the largest Arab country and the Jewish world.”
According to Singer, Bronfman and Mubarak will meet privately to review general developments and assess the current political scene. Working sessions are also scheduled with Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Hassan Ali; Boutros Ghali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; and Dr. Abou Taleb, Speaker of the People’s Assembly. Prior to the meetings with Egyptian governmental officials, the Bronfman party will be receiving American Ambassador Alfred Atherton for in-depth discussions and briefings, Singer said.
A highlight of the visit will be the affiliation of the Egyptian Jewish community as a member of the WJC. “The “symbolic return of Egypt’s Jews to the fold of world Jewry will most certainly be the emotional high point of the journey,” Bronfman said. Among the topics he will discuss with Jewish community leaders is the progress in the restoration of the historic Ben-Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. From Cairo, Bronfman is scheduled to fly directly to Jerusalem to meet with the Israel section of the WJC.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
