Fr
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Sinai's Oil Fields Are Returned to Egypt
(Continued from Page 1)
of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC), during
the first year. Negotiations
are scheduled over the price
of oil after that period. The
Egyptians are expected to
ask for $32.50 per barrel, a
price recently quoted on the
Rotterdam spot market.
Israel also turned over a
2,500-square-kilometer
area in southwestern Sinai
to the Egyptians. On Jan.
25, it will relinquish a much
- larger area including three
str-fegic passes in central
S Egypt will then con-
trol cwo-thirds of the penin-
sula.
The new demarcation
line will run from El
Arish on the Mediterra-
nean coast to Ras
Mohammed on the Red
Sea.
The final withdrawal
from Sinai in 1981 will be to
Israel's original interna-
tional border with Egypt. At
that time Israel will give up
the town of Yamit in the
north and Ophira in the
south along with its mili-
tary airfields in Sinai.
The Egyptians intend to
make A-Tour their district
headquarters in southern
Sinai. The area is presently
inhabited by some 1,200
Bedouins.
The last Israeli techni-
cians departed some days
ago and the last tanker left
Alma with 50,000 barrels of
oil for Israel. A large sign on
the local canteen wall was
an epitaph for 12 years of
Israeli presence there. It
read, "The story is over."
In effect, the return of
the area means that the
U.S. is now committed for
15 years to sell oil to Is-
rael at market prices.
This guarantee was a
condition under which
Israeli Premier
Menahem Begin agreed
to return the Sinai area
and its oil to Egypt. How-
ever, it is understood that
Israel has no need to in-
voke that commitment at
present.
According to information
Israel, Egypt to Share
Airfield After Withdrawal
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Israel and Egypt have
agreed in principle to share
one of the Sinai airfields
that Israel will relinquish
when it completes its with-
drawal from Sinai in 1981
— but on a strictly civilian
basis, it was disclosed Wed-
nesday.
The disclosure was made
by the director general of
the Defense Ministry, to the
_ Knesset Economic Commit-
tee. He said that a formal
agreement will have to be
worked out in negotiations
between the two countries.
The facility in question is
the Etzion Air Base which is
close to the Israeli town of
Eilat. It will be returned to
Egyptian sovereignty.
Under the terms of the
peace treaty, Egypt will not
be allowed to use it as a
military air base because of
its proximity to Eilat.
Instead, both Israel
and Egypt will use it
jointly for civilian air-
craft. It will supplement
the commercial airport at
Eilat which is not equip-
ped to handle the large
number of tourists who
visit that resort area each
year.
Meanwhile, work is con-
tinuing on the American-
financed military air bases
'rig built in the Negev to
7 'ace those that Israel
will give up in Sinai. The
director general said that
the defense ministry would
offer more jobs to local
workers because of possible
unemployment resulting
from the government's
anti-inflation program.
However, foreign labor
employed by the American
contractors continues to ar-
rive. An additional 111 from
Portugal landed in Israel
Wednesday to join an ear-
lier group of 82 Portuguese
workers on the Ramat
Matred Air Base near
Mitzpeh Ramon.
About 2,500 workers are
expected from Portugal in
the next six months but
they may be asked to leave
if it turns out that Israelis
need the jobs.
in Washington, Israel buys
more than 160,000 barrels
of oil a day. Somewhat less
than half comes from
Mexico. Middlemen supply
the rest at extraordinarily
high price.
The origin of the sales and
of the oil are usually con-
cealed to avoid an Arab
boycott and a cut-off of sup-
ply to those sources because
they deal with Israel.
* * *
By YITZHAK SHARGIL
SANTA KATERINA,
Egyptian Sinai (JTA) —
One week ago, the sign at
the small airfield near the
Santa Katerina Monastary
said, in bold Hebrew and
English letters, "Mt. Sinai
Airport." Today, the sign, in
Arabic and English, reads
"Santa Katerina Airport."
The Hebrew lettering on
this and on all other signs
designating places, roads
and buildings has been blot-
ted out with black paint.
It is a small thing but it
brings home bluntly the ob-
literation of 12 years of Is-
raeli presence in this region
at the foot of Mt. Sinai that
was officially returned to
Egyptian administration
last week, two months
ahead of the timetable set
by the Israeli-Egyptian
peace treaty.
Even the plaque on the
airport terminal building
stating that it was built by
the Israeli Army Corps of
Engineers has been covered
— in this case by a large
portrait of President Anwar
Sadat who formally took
possession of the area on the
second anniversary of his
visit to Jerusalem.
Certain unremovable
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evidence of Israeli
enterprise remains.
There are the paved
roads, the tourist motels
and shops, an Israeli field
school specializing in
ecology and various
water wells dug by Is-
raelis in this arid region.
And Israeli tourists who
are flocking here with
passports or identity
cards are given a warm
welcome by the new
owners.
Of course, they must
bring dollars. The Isareli
pound is no longer legal cur-
rency. The Egyptians have
opened a small bank at the
airport where visitors can
exchange pounds for dollars
or Egyptian currency.
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