It has been revealed that the Israeli embassy in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, closed some two-and-a-half-months-ago. The Israeli ambassador to Egypt and all members of his staff were covertly brought back to Israel for fear that Islamic State militants would attempt to target them. The embassy staff was reportedly brought back to Israel just days before a Muslim terrorist, who had infiltrated from the Sinai Peninsula, blew up a bomb at the entrance to a large Coptic Church in Cairo, killing 25 people. The decision to return the diplomats back to Israel was made after intelligence indicated that Islamic State militants were liable to pose an immediate threat to their lives.
A spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry released a statement last night that his ministry had no additional information about the issue and that he did not know when the Israeli ambassador would return to Cairo. That said, Israeli officials emphasized that the relations between Israel and Egypt has never been better, and the decision to return the Israeli ambassador to Israel was “due to security concerns.” Meanwhile, Ambassador Govrin, who assumed his post in Cairo last summer, has continued to work out of Jerusalem. Foreign Ministry officials said they hoped he would be able to return to his offices in Cairo shortly, yet gave no indication of a specific time table.