ABSTRACT
With the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Israeli government set development co-operation with Egypt as a high-priority target- It allocated one million dollars, in addition to the sums normally channeled through the department of co-operation in the foreign ministry, to initiating a meaningful program of co-operation, especially in the field of agriculture. It lifted, exceptionally, all restrictions on the transfer of the latest technologies and improved seeds to Egypt, despite the possibility that it might become a potential competitor to Israel. The government also encouraged the private sector to harness itself to this task and disregard petty financial considerations. Already on his first visit to Egypt in 1979, Menahem Begin included in his retinue the late Shaul Eisenberg and other prominent businessmen.
