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Source: http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/78274/the-ambassador-speaks/
Israel's Ambassador to Egypt Recalls Riot
(Tablet) Judith Miller - In an interview, Yitzhak Levanon, Israel's ambassador to Egypt, described the 13-hour drama at the Israel Embassy in Cairo. Coordinating with the Egyptian commandos, the Israelis devised a code that would let the Israeli guards know when their rescuers had reached the reinforced metal door to the security room which stood between them and the mob. "They had to determine that they were the good guys, not the bad guys," Levanon said. Disguised in Egyptian garb, the Israeli guards were spirited out of the besieged embassy and through the screaming mob. Egyptian officials now acknowledge that their security services' initial lack of response to the assault on the embassy has created a "credibility crisis" for Egypt over its ability to protect diplomatic compounds as international law and tradition require and to maintain security within its own borders. The incident has "damaged Egypt's image and its international reputation," acknowledged Osama Heikal, Egypt's minister of media.