Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may appoint a Druze lawmaker from the rival Kadima Party as Israel's next ambassador to Egypt, according to a report which appeared on Saturday in the Cairo-based newspaper Al-Misriyun.
MK Majali Wahabi, a former deputy foreign minister, is a candidate for the post due to his longstanding relationship with senior members of the Mubarak regime, the newspaper reported.
In addition, Netanyahu is seeking to station a moderate in the Cairo post so as to temper Egyptian apprehensions over Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Prior to being named foreign minister, Lieberman, the hawkish chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, irked Cairo in the past with provocative statements against Egypt's president.
According to the report in Al-Misriyun, Jerusalem's current envoy to Egypt, Shlomo Cohen, is due to complete his term at the end of June. Wahabi is one of a number of candidates being considered to succeed Cohen, the newspaper said.
Netanyahu believes that naming the Arabic-speaking Druze legislator could contribute to closer ties with Egypt, the largest Arab state and the first to sign a peace treaty with Israel. The newspaper report did not include any response from an Israeli official.
