Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, who was hospitalised after witnesses said he was jostled by Palestinians for visiting a Muslim holy site under Israeli occupation, has returned to Cairo.
| "I'm gettin' outta here! Those people are crazy!" |
Maher arrived on Monday shortly after 11:00pm at the Almaza Airbase in eastern Cairo where he'd left from earlier in the day. The minister, 68, was admitted to a hospital in Jerusalem for three hours. Witnesses said that some 200 Palestinian worshippers shouted "traitor" at Maher after he tried to pray at the al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in occupied East Jerusalem. He was also shoved and heckled before fainting.
| "Quick, Ethel! His pills!... Too late." |
Mosque guards formed a human chain around him as he left the scene. Maher's spokesman Tariq Adal earlier said that the minister was in good health and that the "incident was blown out of proportion".
| Anybody recall any other foreign ministers trampled by mobs lately? |
The incident occurred while Maher rounded off a one-day visit to Israel during which he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. His visit was intended to be an important step towards improving strained ties between Egypt and Israel after the Intifada against Israel's occupation erupted three years ago.
| He also didn't stop by to kiss Yasser's ring... |
Israeli police said that they had detained at least five Palestinians believed to be connected with the incident. Their identities have not been revealed. |