An Israeli delegation with three scientists is taking part in a two-day conference inaugurated yesterday by the Minister of Higher Education and the State for Scientific Research Hany Mahfouz Helal at Cairo University. The delegation is part of SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East ), a foundation including nine country members: Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Bahrain and Israel. According to its official website, SESAMI is an international foundation based in Jordan. It was established under the patronage of UNESCO and is currently building a third generation of synchrotron-light sources as a cooperative project including several Middle East countries. The website adds the foundation is a global scientific project serving scientists' necessities in the region and helping to create peace and consensus in the region by encouraging good relations among scientists from countries with different political and ethnic backgrounds. The main Egyptian scientists who are members of SESAME are Dr. Ali Islam, chairman of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, and Dr. Tarek Hussein, chairman of the Academy of Scientific Research. Cairo University President Hissam Kamel denied having anything to do with the organization of the conference. He affirmed that Cairo University is only the venue of the meeting, while the Academy of Scientific Research is concerned with the organization.
