Egyptian general: Israeli POWs went sightseeing in Cairo
In the wake of demands that Egypt's ambassador to Israel be recalled, threats of prosecution in the Hague and a feeding frenzy by the Cairo media, Sunday brings a surprising revelation in the ‘execution of POWs’ affair: The former head of the Egyptian army’s Operations Branch claims that Egypt always treated Israeli POWs humanely – and even invited them on tourist outings
The former head of the Egyptian army’s Operations Branch, General Hassan al-Gridli, claims that during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, his army treated Israeli POWs humanely and even organized “tourist trips to Cairo.”
Al-Gridli’s comments were made as the storm of controversy surrounding the alleged killing of Egyptian POWs by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War continues.
In statements made to the Egyptian establishment newspaper Al-Aharam, Al-Gridli said that when he and then-Defense Minister Ahmad Ismail Ali went to inspect the POW camp in which Lieutenant Colonel Asaf Yaguri and other Israeli officers were being held, “the defense minister asked to verify that the prisoners were receiving good treatment” and ordered the camp commander to organize tourist trips to Cairo sights for the captives.
‘Foreign minister humiliating Egypt’
Meanwhile, in Cairo’s political arena, the media storm kicked up by Dan Adelist’s documentary film "Shaked Spirit”, which alleged that the Shaked Reconnaissance Unit, under the command of National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, killed 250 unarmed Egyptian captives at the end of the 1967 war, is continuing.
Among the targets of criticism is Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, whose transgression was to declare in a BBC interview that his country had no intention of breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel.
Several members of the Egyptian parliament accused Aboul Gheit of “humiliating Egypt” and even demanded that he testify at a parliamentary hearing. They also demanded that he break off diplomatic relations with Israeli, cancel the peace accords signed between Egypt and Israel and publish a “blacklist of businessmen who work with Israel.”
A member of parliament associated with the Muslim Brotherhood said that Aboul Gheit’s statement “brings shame upon the whole Egyptian people” and leveled the accusation that “the Foreign Ministry has become detached from the street.”
Parliament member Haidar al-Baghdadi wondered why Israel decided to broadcast the documentary film that started the controversy at this point in time and declared the screening “a provocation.” Some members of parliament also criticized the Israeli ambassador to Cairo, Shalom Cohen.
