Israel denies reports that mission will leave Tunis
Tunisia-Israel, Politics, 6/29/1998

Tunisian sources asserted that Israeli diplomats working in the Israeli communications bureau will leave the Tunisian capital for good tomorrow.

The Israeli bureau's chief, Shalom Cohen, who is of Tunisian origin, left Tunis last spring after finishing his mission. The mission's deputy's chief Gidion Bihar will be the first to leave along with some employees in the bureau.

The Tunisian government had discharged the mission's head and other 4 assistants before Cohen's departure.

The last activity involving the mission's chief Bihar was attending the annual celebrations held by the Jewish community in Gerbah Island, in which more than 5,000 Jews came from France, Italy and Spain to participate in festivities in addition to 600 Israelis.

Tunis summoned its bureau head in Tel Aviv, Khamis El-Gohinawi, to return to Tunis last year, and the sources stated that, "He will not go back to his previous post and he will be appointed in a new diplomatic post."

Steps for closing the Israeli bureau in Tunis come after 2 visits paid by the Tunisian foreign minister Said Ben Mostafa to Damascus last week and to Beirut.

The Israeli authorities have denied reports that the staff of the Israeli consulate in Tunisia will leave for Tel Aviv because of a freeze in the process of normalization between Tunisia and Israel.

A report quoted yesterday by Israeli radio, the spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that chief of the consulate has ended his term of office in Tunisia and somebody will succeed him, noting that other members of the staff will stay there.

But Tunisian foreign minister Ben Mostafa asserted that no one will replace the Israeli mission.

Previous Stories:
  Italian Prime Minister to hold formal talks in Tunisia   (6/23/1998)
  Arab officials to discuss forgery prevention of travel documents   (6/20/1998)
  Qatar to Israel: enough is enough, may close mission in Doha   (3/19/1998)

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