Israel Names New Ambassador to Egypt

The Israeli foreign ministry has named Middle East specialist Haim Koren as the Jewish state's next ambassador to Egypt, a spokesman told Agence France Presse on Sunday.

He did not say when the appointment take effect.

Koren, currently non-resident ambassador to South Sudan, is an Arabic-speaker and according to media has previously served as director of the ministry's political planning division and on the Cairo embassy staff.

Following July's ouster by the Egyptian military of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, Israel decided to reduce its diplomatic presence in Cairo for security reasons.

As public disturbances have died down in recent weeks, Israeli diplomats have been returning to the Egyptian capital.