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Islam Times
Israel's new ambassador arrives in the Egyptian capital as tensions between Cairo and Tel Aviv continue to escalate with revolutionary Egyptians calling for an end to all ties with the Zionist regime.

Yaakov Amitai's arrival on Monday comes three months after Egyptians demanded the closure of the embassy following the killing of six Egyptian soldiers at a security checkpoint near the border by Israeli forces, AFP reported.

Egyptians also demanded the annulment of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that has been upheld by Egypt's military rulers.

Following the killings in August, Egyptians gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo, protesting the border attack. The protests forced the Israeli envoy Yitzhak Levanon and most Israeli diplomats to leave Egypt, along with their families.

At least three people were killed and more than 1,000 others were injured during the clashes in front of the embassy.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials voiced concern over the success of Islamic parties in the first stage of Egypt's parliamentary elections.

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, but the situation has drastically changed since the Egyptian revolution toppled former dictator Hosni Mubarak in February.

Under the US-backed Mubarak regime, Egypt consistently served Israeli interests and objectives by helping to impose the crippling blockade on the impoverished Gaza Strip after the democratically elected Hamas government took control of the territory in 2007.