Ismail Fahmi
Ismail Fahmy اسماعيل فهمى | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt | 2 October 1922
Died | 21 November 1997 Cairo, Egypt | (aged 75)
Profession | Diplomat |
Ismail Fahmy (
Early life and education
Fahmy was born on 2 October 1922.[2][3][4] His father was a public prosecutor in Cairo.[2]
He held a degree in political science from Cairo University in 1945.[2]
Early career
Fahmy joined ministry of foreign affairs in 1946.[2] He served as a diplomat being part of the Egypt's delegation to the United Nations from 1949 to 1957.[2] He was an activist and a tough negotiator.[5] Then he served in the Egypt's delegation on the International Atomic Energy Agency until 1959.[2]
He returned to Egypt and worked at the foreign office.[2] He was appointed ambassador to Austria in 1968.[2] From 1969 to 1970 he served as the ambassador of Egypt to France.[2] His next post was deputy foreign minister which he held from 1971 to November 1973.[2]
Fahmy came to attention of Sadat at a symposium in Egypt. His arguments about the Egyptian military action against Israel, re-evolution and reshaping of Egyptian- Soviet relationships, closer contact with the US and the involvement with both Moscow and Washington in solving the Middle East conflict impressed Sadat, who appointed Fahmy foreign minister after
Foreign Minister of Egypt, 1973–1977
Fahmy served as foreign minister from 31 October 1973 to 17 November 1977.[2] He decided to keep lines of communication open between Egypt and Soviet Union. However Fahmy recounts certain events in which he was directly involved: his first encounters with Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon; his participation in talks leading to the Egyptian-Israeli disengagement agreements of 1974 and 1975. He reluctantly supported the first agreement and opposed to the second. He met with both US and Soviet foreign ministers. According to Fahmy, “Kissinger is highly intelligent but he has tendency to manipulate people”.[6] Fahmy stated that “Zbigniew Brzezinski was professor at heart inclined to lecture experienced diplomat”.[6] When Sadat decided to visit Jerusalem, he reacted to the decision by saying "I believed it would harm Egypt’s national security, damage our relations with the other Arab countries, and destroy our leadership of the Arab world."[7]
Furthermore he argued Sadat could not provide any proof that the Israelis would respond to his move with comparable good will.[6] After Sadat's visit, he resigned from his post and was replaced by Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel.[8]
Later career
Following he resignation, Fahmy kept supporting the convocation of the Geneva Conference as the only way to achieve peace.
Personal life and death
Fahmy died on 21 November 1997 at the age of 75.
References
- ^ "Recruitment and Composition of the Elite". Country Studies. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-1555872298.
- ISBN 9783110930047.
- ISBN 9780859350563.
- ^ [Joseph Sisco. An Egyptian Foreign Minister’s Memoirs. The New York Times, 19 June 1983]
- ^ a b c [ Biography - (1922-1997): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online [HTML] (Digital)]
- ^ Sisco, Joseph (19 June 1983). "An Egyptian Foreign Minister's Memoirs". The New York Times.
- doi:10.2307/40202205.
- ^ US diplomatic cable on Fahmi's conversation with US Ambassador
- ^ Eric Pace (24 November 1997). "Ismail Fahmy; Minister, 75, Quit Sadat". The New York Times.
- ^ Dune, Michale Collins (15 July 2013). "Nabil Fahmy accepts the Egyptian foreign ministry". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 15 July 2013.