Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 09:54, 13 September 2011

| place = Giza, Egypt | coordinates = 30°01′43.20″N 31°13′01″E / 30.0286667°N 31.21694°E / 30.0286667; 31.21694 | date = 9–10 September 2011 | status = | goals = | howmany1 = Several thousand protesters | causes = | methods = Demonstrations, rioting, online activism, infiltration | injuries = ~1,049 Egyptian protesters | fatalities = 3 Egyptian protesters | arrests = | concessions = }} The 2011 attack on the Israeli embassy in Giza involved several thousand Egyptian protesters forcibly entering the Israeli embassy in Giza on Friday, 9 September 2011. Egyptian police forces stationed at the site attempted to prevent the demonstrators from entering the building and fired tear gas in an attempt to drive them away. The demonstrators eventually broke through the security wall and entered the offices of the embassy. Later the remaining embassy staff were evacuated from the site by Egyptian commandos.

Following the attack, the ambassador, 85 staff members and and their families returned to Israel, and the Egyptian army declared a state of alert.

Background

During 2011, relations between Israel and Egypt deteriorated, and after the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, reached their lowest point since the 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty. The Israeli-Egyptian border became a region of conflict and instability due to increased militant activity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and anti-Israeli sentiment was expressed in protests by masses of Egyptians in the streets of Giza.

On 18 August, a squad of militants crossed the border from the Sinai Peninsula into southern Israel, killing eight Israelis. Israel's attempt to hunt down the militants, which involved crossing the border into Egypt, resulted in the deaths of six Egyptian soldiers. The soldiers' deaths by Israeli fire ignited protests in front of the Israeli Embassy in Giza. On 20 August, during a demonstration, an Egyptian protester climbed 20 feet up the building's facade to remove the Israeli flag.

The Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces considered recalling the Egyptian ambassador in Tel Aviv to Egypt. Eventually, Israel publicly apologized for the deaths of the Egyptian soldiers. Egypt stated that Israel's apology was "insufficient."

The attack

Initial Protests

On 9 September 2011, hundreds of Egyptian protesters began gathering outside of the Israeli embassy. Around 6:30 p.m. local time, they began to assault a concrete security wall surrounding the building with hammers and a battering ram. Egyptian authorities had erected the wall following intense protests in August.

Building infiltration

At 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning, several thousand protesters breached the security wall. By 1:00 a.m. they had entered the lobby, and soon proceeded through the rest of the building. The demonstrators ransacked the embassy, located on the 20th and 21st floors of the building, and threw items including documents, some marked "confidential", from the windows of the building to the crowded street below. The documents were quickly scanned and publicly commented on. Israel later revealed that the remaining Israeli diplomatic staff, consisting of eight people, had only been separated from the rioters by the steel door of a safe room in which they had taken refuge.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various other senior Israeli officials watched a direct feed from the surveillance cameras installed in the embassy as the events unfolded.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor estimated that about 3,000 protesters were involved in destroying the security wall. An Israeli diplomat condemned the attack as a "serious violation" of diplomatic behaviour.

Immediately after the protesters had infiltrated the embassy, United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta received a call from Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak asking for help. The United States assisted in assuring the protection of the Israeli embassy personnel. Prime Minister Netanyahu later emphasized that he "would like to thank the US President Barack Obama for his help" in securing the lives of the Israeli embassy staff.

Rescue of embassy staff and end of the riots

Six Israeli security guards built a makeshift barrier within the embassy, near the reinforced safe room, to protect diplomats who had not yet evacuated. After hearing protesters approaching the safe room, they fired warning shots into the air and then barricaded themselves in the inner room. Soon after, Egyptian commando forces made their way into the embassy building and rescued the six Israeli guards and two diplomats trapped inside. The embassy staff were then escorted to Cairo International Airport. At 2:40 a.m., the Israeli ambassador and approximately 85 other Israeli diplomats and their family members arrived at the airport, and were flown out of Egypt soon afterwards. Only the deputy Israeli ambassador remained in Egypt, staying at the US embassy. A senior Egyptian security official stated that the Egyptian commandos had been sent to the embassy after Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon spoke on the phone with an anonymous member of Egypt's ruling military council, and asked him to arrange the safe evacuation of the embassy staff.

The demonstration and ransacking of the embassy building continued into the early morning hours as the protesters confronted the police force, burnt tires, and set several police cars on fire. The Egyptian police eventually suppressed the riots and dispersed the thousands of rioters by using tear gas and firing guns into the air.

Aftermath

Following the attack, the Egyptian army heightened the state of alert in the country and reinstated martial law, otherwise known as State of Emergency, on a temporary basis.

On the morning of Saturday, 10 September, Egypt's ruling military council rejected resignation requests that had been submitted by Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and several Egyptian ministers. Their request was made because of the failure to handle the disturbances.

One day after the attacks on the embassy, a group of reporters were attacked by a crowd of people still lingering near the scene of the riots. They were able to flee the area without sustaining any major injuries.

Official reactions

Involved parties

•  Egypt – Following the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Giza, Egypt's Information Minister Osama Heikal stated that Egypt is still committed to all of the international treaties to which it is a signatory, and added that Egypt is also committed to the safety of all foreign diplomats residing in the country. In addition, Heikal stated that a series of measures would be taken to ensure that no further disturbances would occur.

•  Israel – During a televised press conference conducted on the evening of 10 September, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the need to maintain Israel's strategic relations with Egypt, which is crucial to the region's stability. In addition, he thanked the Egyptian commando unit for preventing a disaster. Netanyahu also stated that the peace agreement with Egypt will be maintained in spite of the violent protests.

International

•  Bahrain – Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheik Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah, condemned the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Giza. The minister said, "the failure to defend the embassy building is a blatant violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
•  Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper released an statement that said, "Our government strongly condemns the attack on the embassy of Israel in Egypt".
•  Germany – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle released a statement in which he condemned the attack on the Israeli embassy. In addition, the statement said that he expects "the Egyptian authorities to provide for the security of the embassy in accordance with international obligations. Any further escalation of the situation must be avoided."
•  United Kingdom – Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the attacks on the Israeli embassy, stating that Egypt is responsible for protecting diplomatic property. "I strongly condemn the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. We have urged the Egyptian authorities to meet their responsibilities under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic property and personnel, including the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. They have reassured us that they take these very seriously."
•  United States – In a statement to the press, the White House said that President Barack Obama expressed his great concern about the situation at the embassy and the security of the Israelis serving there.

References

1. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/09/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Egypt declares state of alert in wake of attack on Israeli Embassy
2. ^ J'lem seeks US help in guarding breached Cairo embassy
3. ^ "Egypt says it will try those behind Israel mission violence". The Jerusalem Post and Reuters. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
4. ^ The Associated Press: Egypt commandos save 6 Israelis in embassy attack
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/world/middleeast/11egypt.html?_r=1
6. ^ Egypt says Israel apology of troop deaths is insufficient - CNN
7. Ehud Barak, Israel Defense Minister, Regrets Deaths Of Egyptian Troops
8. Israel Apologizes For Deaths Of Egyptian Troops In Shootout With Militants | Fox News
9. Egypt deems Israel's apology for policemen deaths 'insufficient' - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
10. Egyptians break concrete wall at Cairo's Israeli embassy on Sept. 9, 2011 - YouTube
11. Egyptians attack Israeli embassy; Obama is... JPost - Middle East
12. "Egyptians protest against military rule - Middle East". Al Jazeera English. 2001-09-11. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
13. The storming of Cairo's Israeli embassy: an eyewitness account (part I) - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online
14. ^ From Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, For CNN. "Protesters in Egypt breach wall, enter Israeli Embassy - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2011-09-10. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
15. Israel pulls envoy after embassy attack - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
16. U.S. told Egypt it must rescue Israeli embassy workers or suffer 'consequences,' sources say - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
17. .http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/09/201191064219436657.html
18. Cairo: Israeli guards in embassy fired shots... JPost - Headlines
19. David Kirkpatrick, Israelis Quit Cairo Embassy as Protesters Invade Offices New York Times 10 September 2011
20. Egypt commandos save 6 Israelis in embassy attack - Yahoo! News
21. Egypt Declares Emergency After Attack on Israeli Embassy - Businessweek
22. Egypt's ruling military council rejects PM's resignation
23. Watson, Ivan (11 September 2011). "Angry crowd turns on journalists reporting embassy attack in Egypt". CNN. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
24. Egypt: We are committed to maintaining Israel peace treaty - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News
25. Israel Embassy Attacked: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Condemns Violence In Egypt
26. Netanyahu: Peace agreement with Egypt will b... JPost - Headlines
27. "Egypt to try Israel embassy rioters - Israel News, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. 1995-06-20. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
28. AFP: Canada condemns attack on Israeli embassy in Egypt
29. Germany condemns attack on Israeli Embassy i... JPost - Headlines
30. http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=237435 UK's Cameron condemns attack on Israeli Embassy in Cairo
31. http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=382788&catid=37 Israeli Embassy attacked in Egypt, envoy flees 10 September 2011

External links

{{{inline}}}

• Timeline of Israel embassy attack in Cairo - published on the Jerusalem Post on 10 September 2011
• In pictures: Cairo embassy attack - published on BBC News on 10 September 2011
• Egypt vows to try those who targeted Israel mission - published on Reuters on 10 September 2011
• Israeli ambassador to Egypt flees in night of rioting - published on The Daily Telegraph on September 10, 2011
• Egyptian security forces clash with protesters - published on BBC News on September 10, 2011
• Egypt declares state of alert in wake of attack on Israeli Embassy - published on CNN on September 10, 2011
• The storming of Cairo's Israeli embassy: eyewitness account (part II) - published on Ahram Online on September 11, 2011

• 2011 in Egypt
• 2011 in international relations
• Diplomatic incidents
• Egypt–Israel relations
• Political controversies