Israel's new ambassador to Egypt received by president
David Govrin has begun his new position in Cairo with the Egyptian military band playing the Israeli national anthem, stating that Egyptian-Israeli relations are vital to regional peace.
Israel's new ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin, presented his letter of credence on Wednesday morning to President Abdul Fatah Khalil al-Sisi. The Egyptian military band played the Israeli national anthem.
At the ceremony, seven additional ambassadors were received: those of Belgium, Greece, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates.
Govrin (L) waiting to present his credentials
Govrin in Cairo
In an interview this week with Egyptian media, the head of that country's Jewish community, Majda Haroun recounted that she showed the incoming ambassador the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. Haroun, who is known for her hostility to the State of Israel, explained that she permitted him to visit there to "cut out the Zionists' tongues" (loosely translated: "to silence them"), because they speak of Jewish culture in Egypt as if it belonged to them. According to her, she insisted on showing Govrin that she's in charge and not him.
In the interview, she stated that she gave the Egyptian Ministry of Culture documents related to the history of Jews in Egypt because Zionist organizations were trying to get their hands on them. "The party that Israel threw over the archeological findings that reached them from Iraq and Yemen won't repeat itself with Egypt," she said.
