Israel Foreign Ministry Director-General Dr. Dore Gold made a visit to Cairo to discuss possibilities to jumpstart the stalled diplomatic process with the PA (Palestinian Authority). The meeting followed a diplomatic gesture by Cairo, appointing its first ambassador to Israel since 2012. On Israel�s part, Gold�s visit was the first of a ministry director-general since 2011, during the Mubarak administration.

Egypt has often acted in the capacity of a third-party negotiator between Israel and the PA. Egypt also played a role in negotiating an agreement with Hamas to end the 2014 counter-terrorism offensive against Hamas in Gaza known as Operation Protective Edge.

In Israel, ministry officials played down the significance of the visit, calling it routine following Cairo�s decision to appoint an ambassador.

(YWN � Israel Desk, Jerusalem)