ABSTRACT
Well before the establishment of embassies and the exchange of ambassadors, the Egyptian authorities had laid down very strict procedures as to the treatment and protection of Israeli delegations visiting Egypt. These procedures had three clear-cut goals:
Protection per se: foiling demonstrations and terrorist attacks against the Israelis by extremist groups opposed to the peace process;
Sending a three-pronged message: to the Israelis that they were not yet welcome in Egypt; to the Egyptian people, who tended to receive the Israelis with open arms, that Israelis should still be ostracized; and to the Arabs at large that, despite the establishment of peace, Egypt had limited interaction with Israel and was not fraternizing with it;
Counter-espionage: strict supervision of Israeli movements and contacts in Egypt and gathering of information on negotiation tactics, goals, feelings and any other matter that might be of the slightest interest.
