Sadat expects 'hysteria’

Press, 27 December 1979, Page 6

Sadat expects 'hysteria’

NZPA-Reuter Cairo President Anwar Sadat has said he expected “convulsive and hysteric” reaction from his Arab critics when Egypt exchanges ambassadors with Israel in February. He said on Cairo television that tnere could be more reprisals against Egypt which might affect Egyptians working in Arab countries or flights by Arab airlines to Cairo. The president, who celebrated his sixty-first birthday, said there were reports that Sudan would withdraw its ambassador from Cairo when the Israeli Ambassador arrived.

Sudan, Oman, and Somalia are the only Arab countries which have maintained relations with Egypt since it signed its peace treaty with Israel in March.

Mr Sadat said Egypt was pressing ahead with talks on granting autonomy to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, but he repeated that his Government did not speak on behalf of the Palestinians. President Sadat also said that none of the world’s 800 million Muslims would accept Israel’s sovereignty over East Jerusalem.

Egypt insists that this sector of the city is part of the Arab West Bank, but Israel says Jerusalem is its capital and will never be divided again.

Mr Sadat repeated earlier attacks against Iran’s revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeiny. “Khomeiny is exploiting Islam which is the religion of tolerance, love and brotherhood,” he said.