Ashraf Ghorbal

1925 -

Egyptian diplomat.

Educated at universities in the United States, Ashraf Ghorbal (also Ghurbal) was the first secretary to the United Nations in Geneva from 1958 to 1962, and an adviser to the Egyptian delegation in New York from 1962 to 1964. When Egypt's embassy in Washington, D.C., was closed following the 1967 Arab - Israel War, Ghorbal became head of the Egyptian/United Arab Republic interests section of the Indian embassy, where he served until 1973.

During the October 1973 war - after having served nearly a year as assistant security adviser to President Anwar al-Sadat - he was placed in charge of Egypt's information and public relations. In November 1973 Ghorbal was appointed ambassador to the reopened Egyptian embassy. He earned the gratitude of many Americans after playing a key role in negotiating the release of hostages held by a terrorist in the B'nai B'rith building in Washington, D.C., in 1977. Ghorbal took part in the Camp David meetings of 1978, and the subsequent isolation of Egypt from the Arab League in the years that followed meant that he was excluded from meetings of the Arab ambassadors in Washington. Nevertheless, he maintained relations with individual ambassadors privately, ultimately also working with key Arab states as dean of the African diplomatic corps. He reached compulsory retirement age in 1985.

Bibliography

Findley, Paul. They Dare to Speak Out: People and InstitutionsConfront Israel's Lobby. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 1989.

— DAVID WALDNER
UPDATED BY GEORGE R. WILKES