Egypt’s embassy in Tel Aviv has been refusing to issue travel visas for
Israeli applicants, who usually do not have trouble obtaining the
permission, Press TV reported.
The embassy has not explicitly declared any travel ban, but it is
delaying their visa requests, Israel’s commercial television outlet,
Channel 2 reported on its website on Sunday.
Yossi Fattal, the director-general of the Israel Travel Agents
Association said the Israelis are told to come back next week for
processing of their applications and the postponements continue.
People, however, continue to transit between the two sides through the Taba crossing in the northeastern Egypt.
The development comes weeks after a popular revolution in Egypt.
Egypt’s former President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down on February 11 as a result of the revolution.
Although Israeli officials tried to refrain from commenting on the
Egyptian revolution, the country allowed Egyptian troops into the Sinai
Peninsula, which is supposed to be demilitarized under a bilateral peace
deal.
Moreover, relations between the former allies have been experiencing
an unprecedented stress since the victory of the revolution.
