Return of Egyptian ambassador to Israel is to support Palestinian cause: FM

Egypt’s foreign ministry said Sunday that the return of the Egyptian ambassador to Israel should be seen in the context of the “important task of supporting the Palestinian cause”.

“The ambassador will be corresponding with the different parties in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, especially in the upcoming period,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Abouzeid was quoted as saying by Egyptian state news agency MENA.

Egypt said Sunday that its ambassador, Hazem Khairat, arrived inTel Aviv on Friday after a three-year diplomatic mission hiatus.

Egypt recalled its ambassador in November 2012 to protest an Israeli offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. At the time, Egypt was led by Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Abouzeid stressed that the return of the ambassador is “normal,” as Egypt took its seat as a non-permanent UN Security Council member at the start of this year, and will use its new position to further support the Palestinian cause.

However, Abouzeid said in response to a press question that there are currently no specific initiatives in the Security Council in regard to the Palestinian issue.

In September 2015, Israel reopened its embassy in Cairo, four years after it was ransacked by a crowd protesting the deaths of five Egyptian policemen killed by Israeli forces reportedly chasing a group of Gaza militants.

source: Ahram Online