Egypt has appointed a new ambassador to Israel. Atef Salem el-Ahl is currently serving in the Egyptian consulate in the Israeli resort town of Eilat. The appointment is standard operating procedure as a number of embassies change leadership at the end of a four year cycle. El-Ahl's appointment has pleased Israeli and international spectators who have feared deteriorating relations between the two countries, AP reported. El-Ahl is not known to be an Islamist and joined the foreign service during Hosni Mubarak's rule. This, in addition to the fact that he has lived and worked in Israel for a number of years, is seen as a bid for continuity in the Egyptian-Israeli relationship. El-Ahl is a graduate of Cairo University and has been posted in locales as diverse as Russia, Holland, Thailand, and Mali.
