Barak frees businesswoman detained at Egyptian airport

JERUSALEM, July 17 (JTA) — Labor Party leader Ehud Barak successfully appealed to Egyptian authorities to release an Israeli businesswoman who had been detained for questioning when she arrived in Cairo this week. Barak, who was in Egypt on Wednesday for talks on the peace process with President Hosni Mubarak and other Egyptian officials, appealed to authorities to let him bring Dvora Ganani back to Israel with him. Ganani was detained Tuesday night when she arrived in Cairo on business. She was barred from entering the country and questioned by police. An airport source was quoted as saying her name was on a blacklist. Ganani said she had no idea why she was questioned or barred from entering the country. Ganani has worked in recent years to arrange joint Israeli-Egyptian ventures in the plastics, agriculture and cosmetics industry. “I was a spokesperson for economic cooperation following the signing of the [1979] peace treaty between Israel and Egypt,” Ganani told reporters when she returned to Israel. “I have no idea why they stopped me.” She added that she intended to return to Egypt. In April, Egypt put on trial Israeli Druse Azam Azam, who was charged with spying for Israel. Israel has denied the allegations against Azam, an Israeli textile mechanic. His trial is scheduled to resume this weekend.