Israeli President making goodwill visit to Egypt

October 27, 1980

Israeli President Yitzhak Navon has begun a five-day visit to Egypt, the first by an Israeli head of state to an Arab country. He was met by President Anwar al-Sadat. Mr. Navon's largely ceremonial visit is designed to demonstrate the drive to establish good neighborly relations as stipulated in their bilateral peace treaty of March 1979. The visit takes place against a background of sharp Egyptian-Israeli differences over Palestinian autonomy; Cairo's bitter criticism of Israel's recent annexation of Arab East Jerusalem into a united capital; and concern about Israeli moves to annex the the Golan Heights.