Charge Made By Egypt

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 7

Charge Made By Egypt

(Rec. 8 p.m.) CAIRO, Dec. 25. Colonel Abdel Kader Hatem. chief of the Egyptian Official Information Service, today accused Britain of having persecuted Egyptians living in Britain. He issued a statement saying: “Egyptians who recently returned here from Britain said that police watched their movements, searched their homes more than once daily, ordered hotelkeepers to oust them, and banks not to cash their cheques, tapped their telephone calls, and did not deliver their mail.”

However, he said it was not possible at this stage to fix the time needed to complete the canal’s clearance. This could be done only after a careful survey by experts, he said. “I shall have a clear picture of the position in 10 days,” he added. The newspaper “Al Ahram” reported that Mr Younis gave permission to Lieutenant-General Raymond VZheeler. who is in charge of the United Nations clearance operations, to start on his preliminary plan. Colonel Abdel Kader Hatem, chief of the Egyptian Information Services, last night denounced “biased propaganda and faise rumours spread regarding Egyptian Jews.” Colonel Hatem said in a statement: “Egypt has not deported one single Jew Egyptian Jews are enjoying exactly the same rights as other Egyptians.” He concluded by saving that Israel has no right to talk about Egyptian Jews. “The Grand Rabbi of Egypt himself announced that no country has the right to talk on behalf of the Egyptian Jews, for they are Egyptians, with exactly the same rights as all other Egyptians ” he declared. A London report today said that India’s Minister without Portfolio, Mr V. K. Krishna Menon, would leave this morning by air for talks in Cairo with President Nasser. According to authoritative sources in London, the talks will be in the nature of a general exchange of views on the Middle East and other international issues, and not further negotiations on the Suez Canal. Mr Menon had talks yesterday with the Indian Prime Minister. Mr Nehru, who is visiting Britain, in preparation for his talks with President Nasser.