Egypt has named a new ambassador to Israel, nearly three years after it had recalled the last one in November 2012. "President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi issued a republican decree appointing new diplomats abroad which included ... Ambassador Hazem Khairat ... as Egyptian ambassador to Tel Aviv," Egyptian state-run Middle East News Agency reported on Sunday. The move is a sign of improving ties between the Israeli and Egyptian governments. Both governments view the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, as a threat. The last Egyptian ambassador to Israel was Atef Salem Al-Ahl, who was in his post for less than a month in late 2012 when he was recalled to Cairo by then-Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in protest against Operation Pillar of Defense, an eight-day offensive conducted by the Israeli military against Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. Khairat, 57, is considered to be one of Egypt's most respected diplomats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, "We've been informed by the government of Egypt that it is dispatching an ambassador to Israel. This is an important piece of news. We appreciate it. It's something ... that is deeply welcomed in Israel and I think it's very good for cementing the peace that exists between Egypt and Israel." Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979.
Egypt appoints first ambassador to Israel in three years
Hazem Khairat, one of Egypt's most respected diplomats, is named ambassador to Israel by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi • Previous ambassador was recalled to Cairo in 2012 by then-President Mohammed Morsi in protest against Operation Pillar of Defense.
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