Sharon: we will not pay one penny to return back the Egyptian ambassador Egyptian companies export cement to build the wall
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 3/15/2004

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon said yesterday that he is not ready " to pay one penny " for returning back the Egyptian ambassador to Israel while Egyptian parliamentarians call for disclosing names of Egyptian companies and businessmen who exported cement shipments to Israel to build the wall of separation in the West Bank.

Sharon said during the weekly session of the Israeli government that he had ordered the foreign minister Silvan Shalom not to discuss the issue of returning back Egypt's ambassador to Israel during his visit to Egypt last week. During the session Shalom presented a report on the results of his visit. The Israeli minister of infrastructure Yousseif Baritski asked the foreign minister if he had discussed with the Egyptians sending back their ambassador to Israel, Shalom said "I personally support that, but the prime minister gave his instructions always not to ask the Egyptian to return back their ambassador."

Sharon confirmed Shalom's remarks and added that " if the Egyptians do not want to return back their ambassador, no need for that.. I am not ready to pay one penny for returning back the ambassador."

Meantime, the Egyptian parliamentarians on Saturday called for disclosing names of Egyptian companies and businessmen who exported cement to Israel to build the wall in the West Bank. The Parliamentarians said in their questions to the prime minister Atef Obeid and the foreign trade minister Youssef Butrous Ghali that cemen producers and businessmen " by exporting cement to Israel contributed considerably in the wall crime which is committed against the Palestinian people and they should be disclosed to the Egyptian public opinion."

Last week, Egyptian press reports indicated that the world trade point in Palestine recorded an increase of the Egyptian exports of cement in an unprecedented way since the beginning of building the wall and estimated at 1.5 million dollars in 2003.

Previous Stories:
  Sorour refuses invitation from head of the Knesset to visit Israel   (3/6/2004)
  Egypt parliament speaker calls for Israel's withdrawal from Arab lands   (3/4/2004)
  Maher: Israeli Aggression is an obstacle for ME peace   (3/3/2004)

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