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Israeli embassy in Cairo under attack
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4 envoys to return to Cairo embassy

Some Israeli delegates to return to Egypt's capital after being evacuated during violent rioting; set to work in new building, only deal with low profile activities; report claims Egyptian billionaire paid protestors to attack embassy

Back to Egypt: Some of the diplomats and security guards evacuated a couple of weeks ago from Israel's embassy in Cairo are set to return to their positions this week, this time to a new building and only for low-profile operations.

 

Deputy ambassador to Cairo, Yisrael Tikochinsky-Nitzan, the only Israeli representative that remained in the Egyptian capitol after the riots, has since returned to Israel - leaving Cairo without any official Israeli delegate, Yedioth Aharonoth reported.

 

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Four of the embassy's envoys are expected to make their way to Cairo this week, among them some of the security guards who were attacked during the rioting at the Israeli embassy, barely making it out in time. 

 

Israeli embassy in Cairo under attack (Photo: EPA)
Israeli embassy in Cairo under attack (Photo: EPA)
 

Officials predicted that the entire embassy staff will soon return to Cairo, but not to the same building. It was also estimated that during the upcoming year the reception and consul activities will not be operating, so as to ensure Israel's diplomatic activities continue but at a low-profile level.

 

Rioters paid to attack embassy?

Meanwhile, an Egyptian tycoon reportedly paid Egyptian protestors large sums of money in order to get them to attack the Israeli embassy in Cairo earlier this month, according to Egypt's Al-Ahram Daily on Sunday.

 

The report said that some rioters caught and questioned by Egyptian security had claimed they had been offered money in exchange for inciting the attack.

 

An Egyptian legal source said that a day before the embassy riots, a group of youngsters arrived at a city square via three buses, and later divided into smaller groups.

 

According to the source, the participants then proceeded to meet with an "upper-class personality" who told the group they "had to revenge the death of our children who were killed along the border with Israel, and must expel the ambassador."

 

Al-Ahram also reported that the participants enjoyed an elegant dinner and received envelopes with 5,000 to 11,000 Egyptian pound ($839-$1,847) inside. After the meal, the group returned to the square, where they were instructed to meet at a number of different reference points near Cairo the following day from which they would begin marching towards the Israeli embassy to "raise havoc."

  

No to reopening of peace treaty

On Friday the Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Yasser Reda, was summoned to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry where he was told that "under no circumstances would the peace treaty be reopened for negotiation".

 

During the meeting, senior Foreign Ministry officials expressed their anger over statements made by senior officials in the Egyptian government in connection with the possibility of re-opening the Camp David peace treaty to negotiation.

 

The Israeli officials made it clear that the option was not on the cards.

 

The 30-minute meeting was conducted by Rafi Barak, the Director General of the Foreign Ministry. He stressed that "From Israel's perspective, there are no intentions whatsoever to reopen the peace accords and the step cannot be taken unilaterally."

 

He noted that "in light if the troubling statements, and in light of the importance we ascribe to Israel-Egypt relations, we are deeply concerned over the declarations made by senior Egyptian officials. I oppose these statements, a change in the tone and level of trust between the two sides is essential to the relationship."

 

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to Jordan Daniel Nevo, has returned to Amman following Thursday's evacuation of all diplomatic staff from the embassy over violent protests. Only 400 Jordanians took part in the "million man protest" Thursday night.

 

Sources in Jerusalem noted on Friday that "the situation is back to normal" and so it was agreed that the Ambassador return to Amman.

 

Ronen Medzini and Roee Nahmias contributed to the report

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.18.11, 12:28
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