Peres welcomes new Egyptian envoy

30 years after Camp David Accords, president hails Sadat as "one of the greatest leaders of the ME."

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Egyptian Ambassador Peres 248 88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
Egyptian Ambassador Peres 248 88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
Yasser Reda A. Aly Said, Egypt's new ambassador to Israel, was the last of four heads of foreign missions to present his credentials to President Shimon Peres on Wednesday. The president's meeting with Said was different than those with other envoys for more reasons than one. First of all, he was unable to propose the traditional toast - not even in orange juice as was the case with Said's predecessors because Muslims do not drink alcohol. It was simply in deference to the fact that during Ramadan, Muslims fast during the daylight hours. Aside from the religious difference, there was also one of great political and historic importance. Wednesday was the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Camp David Accords by president Anwar Sadat of Egypt and prime minister Menachem Begin, which lead to a peace treaty a year later. Peres termed it "one of the most important events in the history of the Middle East" and described Sadat as "one of the greatest leaders of the Middle East," a man whom he had known well and for whom he had the highest regard. "It is sad to think that two great leaders such as Sadat and [prime minister Yitzhak] Rabin paid with their lives for wanting to bring peace to the Middle East," Peres said. It was a pity, he said, that Syrian President Hafez el-Assad had not followed Egypt's example. "If Assad had followed the advice of Sadat and gone with him to Camp David, we might have peace with Syria today." Hinting that peace with Egypt is not exactly as idyllic as it might be, Peres said that nonetheless, "anyone could learn from it. It's better than any alternative." He also paid credit to President Hosni Mubarak for "the important role he played in Oslo." Israel had taken his advice and benefited from his wisdom, said Peres, and would continue to do so "until we have a comprehensive peace." Peres conveyed appreciation to Mubarak for his efforts "to pacify the situation in the South" and expressed the hope that he could be equally influential in the North. He also noted Mubarak's intervention in trying to secure the release of abducted soldier Gilad Schalit. The first of the four ambassadors to present credentials was US Ambassador James Cunningham, who though in Israel for the first time, had close relations with Israel's delegation to the United Nations when he was deputy to the US ambassador to the UN. He previously served as US consul general in Hong Kong. The other two ambassadors to present credentials were Luigi Mattiolo of Italy and Benedicte Frankinet of Belgium, who previously served in Zimbabwe. Peres, who is still a member of Kadima, did not vote in Wednesday's primary, but did meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Beersheba in the evening, when both attended the dedication of the Saban Pediatric Center at the Soroka Medical Center.