Algerian presidency condemned visit of press delegation to Israel

Algerian President office on Monday strongly condemned the visit currently paid by a group of Algerian journalists to Israel, started as from Sunday.

A statement released by the President's office on Monday said that " these elements are not entitled to speak on behalf of the Algerian people or government. The Algerian people and government do not approve this step," the statement noted.

It also asserted that Algeria's position towards the Middle East question is firm. And that Algerian stands with " our brothers in Damascus, Beirut and Palestine." The statement described this step (the visit) as " treason and disgrace."

Meantime, the Arab Journalists union denounced this visit and called for punishing those who violate the decisions of boycotting Israel.

The Union considered this visit as a flagrant violation to the decisions of the Arab journalists Union which stand against normalization with Israel until just and comprehensive peace is achieved.

In a statement signed by its secretary general Salah eddine Hafez, the statement added calls for a tough position with the normalizing sides and to punish all those who violate the boycotting decisions He said that the general secretariat of the Arab journalists Union have confidence that the majority of the Algerian people, especially journalists, and national intellectuals among them stand strongly against such inclination towards Israel.

On Sunday some 10 Algerian journalists and university teachers started a visit to Israel. The first visit of its kind of its kind by an Algerian delegation to Israel.