Egypt Daily News – Israeli media outlets have reported a further deterioration in Israeli-Egyptian relations after Cairo rejected the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, in a report titled “Egypt Draws Red Lines for Israel,” Egypt has frozen the appointment of its new ambassador to Tel Aviv and opposed the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador to Cairo. The paper emphasized that this move reflects a deepening crisis in bilateral relations since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan 11, confirmed that Egypt has decided not to appoint a new ambassador to Israel and has also rejected the appointment of Ori Rothman as Israel’s new ambassador to Cairo, following the end of Ambassador Amira Oron’s term in the winter of 2024.
The Israeli news site bhol also stated that Egypt’s refusal to appoint a new ambassador to Israel is a protest against the war in Gaza, noting specifically that Cairo rejected Rothman’s nomination.
A Red Line for Israel
Maariv reported that with fighting ongoing and ceasefire agreements not being implemented, Egypt sent a strong message to Israel by postponing the appointment of its ambassador to Tel Aviv and refusing to accept Israel’s new envoy in Cairo.
The paper stated that through these decisions, Egypt is drawing red lines for Israel. The postponement of its own ambassador’s appointment to Tel Aviv and the rejection of Ori Rothman as a replacement for former ambassador Amira Oron signal significant Egyptian anger toward Israel.
The report added that the freeze is directly linked to Israel’s continued “aggressive policy in Gaza” and escalating tensions, especially over the situation in Rafah—an area considered critically sensitive for Egyptian national security.
In March, Cairo held a ceremony where President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received credentials from 23 new ambassadors representing various Arab and foreign countries. Notably absent from the list was Israel’s new nominee, Ori Rothman, even though the previous ambassador had left her post around eight months earlier.
