The Israeli Foreign Ministry has denied that the Israeli ambassador to Egypt wrote to the authorities asking them to protect Egypt's tiny Jewish community from 'oppression and cruelty' in the wake of the conviction of Carmen Weinstein (above), the community's leader, for fraud. Mrs Weinstein faces a fine and a suspended sentence for swindling a businessman over the sale of a Jewish site. The Jerusalem Post reports:
From what we’ve gathered, we understand that [the affair] is related to a business dealing,” said Amira Oron, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.
“That’s all we’re willing to comment [on] at the moment.”
Oron categorically denied earlier reports that Israel’s ambassador to Egypt, Yitzhak Levanon, had intervened on Weinstein’s behalf by sending a letter to authorities asking them to protect the Jewish community from “oppression and cruelty.” She said it was a private affair.
According to local media reports, Weinstein was found guilty of swindling money from an investor to whom she allegedly sold property she did not own. They added that she could face a prison sentence of up to three years.
A senior Israeli diplomat voiced his concern regarding the accusations against Weinstein.
“There are a couple of dozen Jewish women left; all the men are gone, and Weinstein is running what’s left,” the diplomat said. “The community has a few assets, and she rents it out – that’s how they get by. I hope they haven’t been duped by anyone.”
Weinstein is the leader of a community that dates back to ancient times. At its peak in the 1920s, there were 80,000 Jews living in Egypt, belonging to Sephardi, Ashkenazi and Karaite congregations. However, following Egypt’s independence and the 1948 creation of the State of Israel, Jews left en masse due to persecution.
Nowadays, only a handful of Jews remain in Cairo and Alexandria.
Nevertheless, in an interview with a local paper in 2007, Weinstein was upbeat about the future of Egypt’s Jews.
“There have been Jews in Egypt since biblical times, the time of Moses, and I don’t see why there shouldn’t be Jews here until the end of time – sometimes less in number, sometimes more,” she was quoted as saying.
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Netanyahu will not raise issue in Egypt talks this week (Ynet News)
Egyptian Jewish leader convicted for fraud
No wonder that Israel and all the Egyptian Jews Organisations in the whole world, are denying Ms. Weinsten and refuse to intervene on her behalf.
ReplyDeleteThis woman is not a Jew, she is just an Egyptian, hating Israel, hating the Jews from Egypt, all she always wanted is DONATIONS DONATIONS DONATIONS... Donations to visit a Synagogue - without any praying please - big Donations to visit the jewish cemetery, bigger donations to participate at the Inauguration of Harambam Synagogue, etc. etc. etc...
She choose Egypt, so let Egypt do to her what Egypt did to all her other Jews.