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Visiting Egypt, Israelis thrilled by warm welcome

Egyptian intellectuals and politicians are disappointed over the refusal of the Israeli leadership to advance Palestinian statehood as promised in the peace treaty, but the people in the streets of Cairo welcome Israeli tourists.
This picture taken on December 29, 2018 shows tourist horse-drawn carts waiting by the base of the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops) at the Giza necropolis on the southwestern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo on December 29, 2018. (Photo by MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP)        (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)
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The public address system at Ben Gurion International Airport called on the last passengers of Air Sinai flight 4D 55 to present themselves at the exit gate. Flight attendants wearing Egypt Air uniforms greeted boarding passengers. The website of Egypt’s national airline makes no mention of Tel Aviv. Air Sinai, its subsidiary for the Cairo-Tel Aviv route only, does not have a website at all.

This unique arrangement, which is part of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, distills the essence of the relationship between Israel and Egypt as they mark the 40th anniversary of their March 1979 peace treaty. While they have reciprocal embassies, their leaders do not visit each other. While the Egyptian elites boycott the Israelis, the people welcome them warmly.

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