2011 attack on Israeli Embassy in Cairo
Photo: EPA
Israeli diplomats won't vote in Cairo
Political turmoil, volatile security situation in Egypt prompt Central Election Committee to rule voting in Cairo is too dangerous. Ambassador, staff to vote in Israel
For the first time since the mid 1990s Israelis diplomats stationed in Egypt will not be able to exercise their right to vote in the Israeli elections from their Cairo base,Ynet learned Friday.
Members of 96 Israeli missions worldwide will vote in the coming January's elections as the did in previous ones, but their peers in Cairo will have to venture back to Israel to do so, due to their small numbers and the projected high cost of sending a ballot to Egypt, which is again plagued by violent riots and political turmoil.
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Israeli diplomats overseas traditionally cast their vote 12 days prior to the Israeli elections.
Jerusalem's embassies and consulates worldwide serve as voting stations for all diplomatic, Jewish Agency and INF officials abroad as well as ballots for Israeli citizens living aboard.
The Central Election Committee has authorized the shipping of ballots to missions in the United States, Europe, Africa, India, Latin America, China, Singapore, Turkey, Jordan, Ethiopia and even Eritrea, but the security situation in Egypt has been deemed too dangerous.
Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Yaakov Amitai and his staff have therefore been ordered to vote in Israel.
Telem Yahav is a Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent
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