No One Wants Post of Israeli Ambassador to Egypt
Despite the fact that there has been 30 years of peace between Israel and Egypt, no senior Israeli diplomats want to be posted in Egypt. The current ambassador to Cairo, Shalom Cohen, has had his post extended an additional three months because no other qualified diplomats have volunteered for the position. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni considered sending an interim ‘caretaker’ ambassador but ruled out this option so as not to hurt Israeli-Egyptian relations. Livni had hoped to replace Cohen with a senior diplomat to show that its relationship with Cairo was a priority. After no qualified diplomats volunteered, Livni even offered the position to several ministry officials and Oded Eran, a veteran diplomat who represented Israel to the European Union for many years. Some diplomats have said they would be willing to go to Cairo if the position carried more responsibility–the embassy has become little more than a symbol. Much of Israeli-Egyptian diplomacy has been conducted between Egypt’s Defense Ministry and Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Ashley Flor
