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Last update - 02:23 13/07/2009
Internal Foreign Ministry memo slams Lieberman's Egypt envoy pick
By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury
Tags: shaul kamisa, egypt 

The possible posting of Col. (res.) Shaul Kamisa as ambassador to Egypt could damage Israel-Egypt relations, according to an internal memo sent to Foreign Ministry director-general Yossi Gal on Sunday.

Sources in the Foreign Ministry say the Egyptians will refuse to accept Kamisa because he is a political appointee close to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who has had frosty relations with Cairo.

The memo, which Haaretz has obtained, stated that Kamisa's military background and his active role in Yisrael Beiteinu will damage Israel, and that relations between Israel and Egypt are more important now than ever, hence the great importance of appointing a career diplomat as ambassador.
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The Egyptian Foreign Ministry in Cairo and the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv declined to comment on the report of Kamisa's possible appointment, except to say that they had received no official word of it. "This might just be a trial balloon," an Egyptian diplomat told Haaretz.

Senior Foreign Ministry officials said they believed that because Lieberman had appointed a person who is closely associated politically with him, the Egyptian authorities would be in no hurry to approve his credentials as ambassador.

"How far can cynicism and stupidity go? The Egyptians will not keep quiet about this," a senior Foreign Ministry source said.

Channel 1 journalist Ayala Hasson reported Friday that Lieberman wanted to appoint Kamisa to the post.

Kamisa also served as mayor of the Upper Galilee town of Hatzor Haglilit. He has held a number of posts in the Israel Defense Forces, including intelligence officer for the Gaza Brigade. In October 2008, Ma'ariv reported that during mayoral campaigns at that time Kamisa distributed vouchers for grocery store purchases to residents in return for their votes.

A cabinet decision in 1998 allows the foreign minister to make 11 political appointments as diplomatic envoys. However, the Foreign Ministry came under harsh criticism from the state comptroller for the practice. Under foreign minister Tzipi Livni, the only political appointments were to Washington, the United Nations, and the consul-general in New York.

The State Control Committee is to meet today to discuss the appointments in the Foreign Ministry and Kamisa's possible appointment. Lieberman and his director general, Gal, have been invited, along with Livni.
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