10 September 2011, AFP
Al Ahram Online http://english.ahram.org.eg (Egypt)
Fractured diplomatic relations with Egypt and Turkey leave Israel increasingly isolated ahead of Palestinian moves to seek UN recognition
Already embroiled in a fierce diplomatic row with former ally Turkey, Israel found itself in fresh crisis Saturday with southern neighbour Egypt after crowds entered and trashed its Cairo embassy.
Israel has few friends in the Muslim world, and the chill on two fronts further deepens its isolation ahead of Palestinian plans to seek full membership in the United Nations.
The overnight attack on the Cairo diplomatic mission, in which crowds smashed through an external security wall, tossed embassy papers from balconies and tore down the Israeli flag, was the worst since Israel set up its mission in Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Tel Aviv, in 1979.Along with Jordan it is still one of only two Arab states to host an Israeli ambassador.
Since former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's ouster in February following a popular revolt, activists have called for a revision of the peace treaty with Israel.
"The mob attack on the Israeli embassy is a serious incident," Israeli news website Ynet on Saturday quoted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as saying.
"It was a painful blow to the peace between us and a grave violation of diplomatic norms," an Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that a senior diplomat stayed behind in Egypt after the ambassador and his staff were evacuated, to maintain delicate ties with Egypt.
"We left the deputy ambassador to keep up contact with the Egyptian government," the official said.Israeli army radio said the remaining diplomat was "in a safe place."
"Peace between Israel and Egypt is a strategic interest of both countries and must be maintained despite the angry mob on the streets," Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni told Ynet.
Egypt declared a state of alert after police clashed with protesters who raided the building housing Israel's embassy.It was the latest episode in worsening relations between Egypt and Israel since the killing of five Egyptian policemen last month on their common border as Israel hunted alleged militants after a deadly attack.
Zvi Mazel, a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, said that military ruler and current de facto head of state Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi was out of touch with grassroots demonstrators."It's a situation of total anarchy where there is nobody on the military committee, General Tantawi or his friends, who can go to the Egyptian people and say 'Enough, finish, we have a problem. We have to revive the economy, move forward'," Mazel told public radio.
"The Egyptian interim military government is weak, unable to have a dialogue with the Egyptian people," he added.
Israel's latest Egyptian woes came hard on the heels of the worst exchange yet with Turkey, after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to send warships to escort any Turkish vessels trying to breach Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Netanyahu's office said that the cabinet had considered various responses to a further worsening of already stormy relations with Turkey, but had not taken action."Israel acts and will act responsibly and hopes that Turkey will also act in the same way," it said in a statement.
Israel and Turkey have been locked in a bitter dispute since May 2010 when Israeli naval commandos stormed a convoy of six ships trying to reach Gaza in defiance of the blockade, killing nine Turks.The crisis deepened over the past week with Turkey expelling the Israeli ambassador and axing military ties and defence trade.
The United States on Friday sought to calm the situation between two of its allies."We're urging both sides to refrain from provocative action," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
The worst may be yet to come for Israel on the diplomatic front, as the Palestinians plan to make their bid for membership in the United Nations later this month.They are to announce soon if they will apply to the Security Council to become a full member of the UN or seek recognition by the General Assembly.
Israel opposes both options but acknowledges that the Palestinians are likely to win majority support in the General Assembly.
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