Israel's former ambassador confirmed reporting that Egypt would withhold diplomatic presence in Tel Aviv, in what she termed a symbolic move
Egypt will not appoint a new ambassador to Israel until the end of the war in the Gaza Strip, Amira Oron – Israel’s last ambassador to Egypt – told Haaretz on Sunday.
Egypt will also refuse the letter of credence – an official letter announcing the appointment of a diplomatic representative – of the designated Israeli ambassador to Cairo, Uri Rothman, she said.
“The longer the war goes on and the larger the military operations, the larger the pressure in Gaza, which could harm Egypt, and in its view, does harm it,” said Oron, who served as ambassador in the country until last October.
She explained that the continuation of the war “creates unrest among the Egyptian public and the Muslim public in general, and the Muslim Brotherhood is exploiting this against the Egyptian regime.“
Earlier on Sunday, Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Egypt decided not to appoint a new ambassador to Israel, concurrently delaying the approval of Rothman’s letter of credence. Oron said that while this didn’t signify a deterioration in diplomatic relations between the countries, it did have symbolic meaning.
Although the absence of ambassadors “is not a good thing,” Oron clarified that the embassies of Egypt and Israel in Tel Aviv and Cairo continue to work in coordination.
Oron, who is currently a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and a member of the Regional Thinking Forum, emphasized that, unlike Jordan, which recalled its ambassador from Israel after the outbreak of the war, Egypt did not take a similar step.
Both Oron and the Egyptian ambassador in Israel completed their terms, with the latter returning to his country a few months ago.
Former Ambassador to Egypt: Cairo Will Not Send New Ambassador Before Gaza War Ends – Haaretz
