|
United States Department of State
Assistant
Secretary of State for
Near
Eastern Affairs
Washington D.C. 20520-6258
May 23, 2001
Ms. Desire L.
Sakkal
Mr. Joseph E.
Mosseri
The Historical
Society of Jews from Egypt
P.O. BOX 230445
Brooklyn, N.Y
11223
Dear Ms. Sakkal
and Mr. Mosseri,
I have been asked to respond to your March 20, 2001 letter
to President George W. Bush regarding Jewish religious
articles and documents in Egypt.
First, permit me to assure you that the U.S. Embassy in
Cairo is aware of the issue and has addressed it with
Egyptian Government officials and members of the Cairo
Jewish community. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer is in frequent
contact with the leadership of the Jewish community,
particularly Mrs. Carmen Weinstein. Mrs. Weinstein has an on
going dialogue with senior Egyptian officials regarding
the artifacts in question. She and Egyptian officials
advise us that the designation of these artifacts as
antiquities (which may not be removed from Egypt) accords
fully with the wishes of the local Jewish community.
We understand there may be approximately 100 Torah scrolls
in Egypt, of which approximately half are stored in
less-than ideal conditions. The Embassy has raised with
leaders of the local Jewish community the possibility of
sending at least some of the scrolls to be archived properly
in the the U.S. for the good of the material. Local
community leaders do not favor this idea and have expressed
the strong preference that the artifacts not leave Egypt.
We greatly appreciate your interest and understand your
concern, but do not believe the U.S. Government can
intervene in this matter, given the expressed sentiments of
the local Jewish community.
Please do not hesitate to contact me again if we may be of
assistance on this or any other matter.
Sincerely
Richard A. Roth, Acting
|
