Saturday, Sep 19, 2009
Gulf News
Cairo: The editor of a magazine published by Al Ahram, Egypt's leading state-run media house, has angered her colleagues and the independent Press Syndicate by meeting the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, Shalom Cohen, in her office.
The Press Syndicated ordered Hala Mustafa, the editor of the monthly publication Democracy, to appear before a disciplinary committee to explain reasons for violating a directive by the union banning its members from having normal ties with Israel. If found guilty, Hala's membership may be revoked.
"This is not the first time an Israeli diplomat entered Al Ahram," Hala said.
"Officials in Al Ahram had met before with Israeli diplomats without drawing protests from inside or outside Al Ahram," she said in remarks published yesterday by the Al Masri Al Youm, an independent newspaper.
According to her, Abdul Moneim Saeed, the incumbent chairman of Al Ahram, met with the current Israeli envoy and his predecessor in Cairo when Saeed was still head of the Al Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies before being appointed chairman of Al Ahram last June.
"In addition, Israeli researchers previously attended seminars hosted by Al Ahram without causing all this fuss," Hala said.
She added that both Al Ahram and the foreign ministry had been notified of the controversial meeting, which meant to prepare for a seminar to be held by Al Ahram on the future of regional peacemaking.
"I am shocked at this crisis fabricated against me," Hala said.
Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Jordan followed in 1984. However, Egypt's professional unions, including the Press Syndicate, are reluctant to have normal ties with Israel until it quits all occupied Arab territories.
"Hala Mustafa's meeting with the Israeli Ambassador in her office a few days ago deserves all condemnations," read a statement issued by the self-styled group, Journalists for Al Ahram.
By Ramadan Sherbini, Correspondent
Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
