Egypt's Journalists Union mulls expelling editor who met with Israeli envoy

Egypt's Journalists Union is investigating whether to expel a prominent member for meeting with Israel’s ambassador in Cairo. The group will investigate Hala Mustafa, editor-in-chief of the state-run monthly magazine ‘Democratiya’. It is the first investigation of its kind even though the group has banned contact with Israelis for nearly 25 years, despite the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries. Observers believe the move is fuelled by anger in Egypt that Culture Minister Farouk Hosni lost his battle to become new director-general of UNESCO, which he and others have blamed on a “Jewish conspiracy”.

Mustafa, who met with Israeli Ambassador Shalom Cohen on 14 September, criticized the union, saying the ban against traveling to Israel or meeting with Israelis for work or personal reasons was "obsolete." She said Cohen visited her office to discuss a symposium they were organizing that would include Egyptian, American and Israeli participants. "There is a reality on the ground that we have to deal with: we have a peace with Israel," said Mustafa. "If people want to boycott Israel, they should do so on an individual basis, but according to our law we have normal relations." The union will decide on her membership on Tuesday.