Monday, February 14, 2011

Israel shuts embassy in Cairo


Since the announcement that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, people have been celebrating across the world. But one group isn't joining the party: Israel's representatives in Cairo.

PRESS TV

The embassy here has been shut down indefinitely, and the Israeli flag was removed from the building's roof. 

Israel's diplomats and their families have allegedly been evacuated due to security concerns. 

Israel has long feared that the fall of the Mubarak could lead to a renunciation of their peace accord with Egypt. The Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces announced that they will support all current treaties. 

Following the 6 Day War and years of negotiations, the two sides signed a peace pact in 1981, but the price has been Egypt's role as the leader of the Arab World. 

As recent Wikileaks documents revealed, the Mubarak regime worked closely, if not openly, with Israel to supress Palestinian efforts for self-determination, but it's now unclear if the two sides will collaborate in the future. 

But as the recent events in Liberation Square illustrate, swift and unpredictable changes are always possible in Egypt.