A group of Egyptian lawyers held a “virtual reception” on Monday for Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who arrived in Cairo for high-level talks.
Shouting anti-Israeli slogans at the Egyptian Bar Association headquarters in Cairo, the lawyers condemned Peres’ visit and distributed a statement to passers-by entitled No Hospitality for a Colonialist.
The “virtual reception” was prepared quickly by “leftist” lawyers, who said in a statement obtained by Albawaba.com that “we and all our people refuse to receive Peres on the soil of Egypt. The Zionist authority man is not welcome; [there is] no hospitality for a colonialist. We do not accept any Zionist on any Arab land.”
Meanwhile, the Al Arabi opposition newspaper protested Peres’ visit by republishing a photo of Peres wearing a Nazi officer’s uniform.
The photo was published for the first time during Peres’ visit to Cairo last year after becoming foreign minister in Sharon’s cabinet.
The event heightened tensions in Egyptian-Israeli relations, as the Israeli embassy in Egypt demanded an official apology from the newspaper. Instead, they received a blast of criticism from the Egyptian Press Association for Israel’s attacks on Palestinian civilians – Albawaba.com
