Normalization deals create warm environment for Egypt-Israel ties
Relations between Cairo and Jerusalem may be thawing in the wake of Israel's normalization agreements with two Gulf states.
Fifteen ambassadors presented themselves last week to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. One of them was Israel’s new envoy to the country, Amira Oron. A lot has been written in recent years about the saga surrounding the appointment of Israel’s ambassador to Cairo. For almost two years, the embassy to one of Israel’s most important security partners functioned without a chief. The arrival of Oron is a signal to Cairo that Jerusalem does value the two countries’ bilateral relations.
Oron’s arrival also has another meaning: that security should not the only sphere of cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried unsuccessfully over the past two years to appoint one of his associates, former Communications Minister Ayoub Kara to the job. With Oron as ambassador, the message is clear: Rather than the security establishment maintaining a cold peace, Israel’s relations with Egypt should include all the traditional aspects of diplomacy, including trade, culture, academia, civil society and science.
Former Ambassador to Egypt Haim Koren wrote an article last week, claiming that the social media era has opened new opportunities for the two peoples to build cultural bridges. He explained that a shared Mediterranean identity offers a great foundation for relations. Both he and the ambassador who preceded Oron, David Govrin, had labored relentlessly in that direction with substantial results.
With the formation of the unity government last April, Israel has now a full-time foreign minister who is driven by political ambitions. But Oron’s arrival and the new energy in the ministry are not the only elements in the equation. Israeli diplomats note after many years of cold peace, Cairo seems more interested in expanding bilateral ties.
