Egyptians break into Israeli Embassy in Cairo

September 10, 2011

By AYA BATRAWY - Associated Press | AP – 2 hrs 44 mins ago.

CAIRO (AP) — Protesters broke into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo Friday and

dumped documents out of the windows as hundreds more demonstrated outside,

prompting the ambassador and his family to leave the country. The unrest was a

further worsening of already deteriorating ties between Israel and post-Hosni

Mubarak Egypt.

Egyptian police made no attempt to intervene during the day as crowds of

hundreds tore down an embassy security wall with sledgehammers and their bare

hands or after nightfall when about 30 protesters stormed into the Nile-side

high-rise building where the embassy is located.

Just before midnight, the group of protesters reached a room on one of the

embassy's lower floors at the top of the building and began dumping

Hebrew-language documents from the windows, said an Egyptian security official

who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to

the media.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli official confirmed the embassy had been broken into,

saying it appeared the group reached a waiting room on the lower floor. He spoke

on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to release the

information.

Israel's ambassador, Yitzhak Levanon, his family and other embassy staff rushed

to Cairo airport and left on a military plane for Israel, said airport officials

who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to

the media.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the ambassador's departure. No one

answered the phone at the embassy late Friday.

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