Exchange of envoys under fire

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 9

Exchange of envoys under fire

NZPA-Reuter Cairo Israel’s first ambassador, to Eygpt, Dr Eliahu Ben Eiissar. will present his credentials to President .Anwar Sadat today against a background of strong opposition protests over the normalise-; lion of relations between rhe two countries. The Socialist Labour Party. and the Left-wing Unionist; Progressive Party have said; there should be no exchange; of ambassadors before Is-; rael's withdrawal from all occupied Arab territorie> and recognition of the Palestinian people's rights. Forty prominent Egyptians. including former politicians. have signed a petition urging a bovcott against l-rael.

The petition, read out at a press conference in Cairo., said: “We are calling on our! fellow citizens to impose aj total boycott, at all levels in] legitimate self-defence.” j The U.P.P. leader. Mr, Khalid Mohieddin. told reporters that his party had cancelled plans of a protest march to the Presidential palace, where Dr Eiissar will present, his credentials, after! the Interior Minister (Mr; Nabawi Ismail) refused to] grant permission to stage it. Mr Mohieddin said the; U.P.P. would sue Mr Ismail' for what he described as' “abuse of power.” tn Washington yesterday.; President Jimmy Carter said; he was opposed to an inde-: pendent Palestinian ■ State and would not recognise or negotiate with the Palestine' Liberation Organisation i lunless it conceded Israel's! | right. to exist. . i | An independent Palestinian State would be a destabilising factor in the Middle East, Many Arab leaders shared this view, lie said. ■ ' Mr Carter also called for an end to acts of violence] against Israel, and said the] United States remained com-j

|mitted to providing military ; land financial aid to Israel to; [help it preserve its security] land its ability to defend it-1 self. ! The President restated his; ipolicy to the United Jewish! .Appeal young leadership] I conference. I I He also said that the ex-] I change of the first Egyptian' ! and Israeli ambassadors was; the realisation of a long-held; dream. The American President expressed the hope that new talks between United States, Egyptian, and Israeli offi- ] cials in The Hague this week would lead to progress in negotiations for autonomy for the Palestinians on the Jordan West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.