Tunisia envoy to Israel recalled

Tunisia has instructed its representative in Israel to leave the country in a quiet diplomatic way, Israel-based Maarif newspaper reported yesterday.

Khemim Jinhawi, who directs Tunisia's interest section in Tel Aviv, asserted to Maarif that he would return home at the end of the week with his wife and 2 children, 15 months after arriving.

"I hope very much to come back here one day as an ambassador, when the political situation improves and progresses," Jinhawi said.

No replacement has yet been named for Jinhawi, and Maarif said Tunisia would not even officially announce his return until he arrives home. Tunisia recalled Jinawi ahead of a planned Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo next month in which Israel’s handling of the peace process under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to come under intense criticism.