Egypt rejects appointment of new ambassador to Israel, refuses new Israeli emissary - report

Egypt has decided to reject the appointment of a new ambassador to Tel Aviv and has refused the nomination of Uri Rothman as Israel’s new ambassador to Cairo, replacing Ambassador Amira Oron, whose term ended in the winter of 2024, according to a report published on Sunday in the pro-Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

The move reflects the depth of the breakdown in relations between Egypt and Israel since the beginning of the war in October 2023.

Egyptian diplomatic sources stated that the decision to freeze the appointment of a new ambassador to Israel is related to “Israel’s continued aggressive policy in the Gaza Strip, growing disagreements between Egypt and Israel regarding the management of the war, and Israel's withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt and Qatar."

The Egyptian sources emphasized that the decision does not signify a downgrading of diplomatic representation between the two countries, but it does reflect a sovereign Egyptian position that carries "political and symbolic implications."