Ismail Fahmi

Ismail Fahmy (Born: 1922 - Died: 1997) was an Egyptian diplomat and politician. He served as an Egyptian ambassador to Austria - 1968-1971, Egyptian tourism minister - 1973, Egyptian foreign minister - 1973-1977, deputy prime minister of Egypt - 1975-1977. He was awarded to professorship. He resigned from the government in 1977 to protest Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem. He was sharply critical of Sadat’s policies and decision making.

Early career

He was born in Cairo. He served as an Egyptian diplomat at the United Nations. He was an intelligent, able, assertive, self-confident and articulate diplomat. [ [ Joseph Sisco. An Egyptian Foreign Minister’s Memoirs. The New York Times, 19 June 1983] ] He was an activist and a tough negotiator. [ [ Joseph Sisco. An Egyptian Foreign Minister’s Memoirs. The New York Times, 19 June 1983] ]

After serving as an Egyptian diplomat to the UN, he was appointed as an Egyptian ambassador to Austria between 1968 and 1971. Mr. Fahmy, a career diplomat, 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 of Moscow and Washington in solving the Middle East conflict were impressed by Sadat. Therefore he was appointed as a Foreign Minister after 1973 October War.

Foreign Minister of Egypt 1973-1977

He started his new job with enthusiasm. He decided to keep lines of communication open between Egypt and Soviet Union. However Mr 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 Fahmi, “Kissinger is highly intelligent but he has tendency to manipulate people”. [ [ Biography - (1922-1997): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online [HTML] (Digital)] ] Fahmi stated that “Zbigniew Brzezinski was professor at heart inclined to lecture experienced diplomat”. [ [ Biography - (1922-1997): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online [HTML] (Digital)] ] When Sadat decided to visit Jerusalem, he reacted to the decision with these words:

Furthermore he argued Sadat could not demonstrate any proof that Israelis would respond to his move with comparable good will. [ [ Biography - (1922-1997): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online [HTML] (Digital)] ] After Sadat’s visit he resigned from his post.

Later career

After that incident he continued to write books and articles about the peacemaking activities in the Middle East. His best known book was “Negotiating for Peace in the Middle East: An Arab View”. Many years he worked as an academician in Egypt. He died in 1997.

References

Joseph Sisco. An Egyptian Foreign Minister’s Memoirs. The New York Times, 19 June 1983.

Sadat’s “Sacred Mission”. Times CNN, 28 November 1977.

Fahmy, Ismail. Biography - (1922-1997): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online [HTML] (Digital). Farmington Hills, Michigan: Thomson Gale, 2007.

Fahmy, Ismail. Foreign Affairs, before the committees of the Peoples' Assembly, Cairo, 11th January, 1977. Egypt: Ministry of Information, State Information Service, 1977

Fahmy, Ismail. A.R.E.'s position regarding recent developments in the Middle East crisis and the Palestine problem: From the statements of Mr. Ismail Fahmi, Deputy Premier ... of October Magazine (5-12-76). Egypt: Ministry of Information, State Information Service, 1976.

Fahmy, Ismail. Negotiating for Peace in the Middle East. Egypt: American University in Cairo Press, 1983.

Fahmy, Ismail. Negotiating for Peace in the Middle East: An Arab View. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1 June 1983.