Bennett got an exceptional reception at Sharm el-Sheikh. First there was an official Egyptian announcement of the visit, about which little had been said in Israel in recent days. Afterward, an official picture of the two leaders was distributed, with both nation’s flags behind them. The meeting itself lasted three hours.

Sissi and Netanyahu appreciated each other as allies and expanded the security and intelligence cooperation between the two countries. Egypt was especially grateful to Israel for its assistance, in the summer of 2013, in persuading the Obama administration not to impose broad sanctions on Cairo despite the fact that Sissi and his generals had pulled off a military coup against the elected government of Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, security incidents were casting a pall in the background. Apparently inspired by the escape of Palestinian security prisoners from Gilboa Prison, there has been a resurgence of violent demonstrations and terror attacks in the territories. At the Gush Etzion junction a Palestinian tried to stab a soldier and was shot, wounded and arrested. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian from Hebron who was in the city illegally stabbed two yeshiva students in a store near the central bus station. Both were wounded. Border policewomen shot and wounded the attacker, who was arrested. For three straight nights, rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, which responded by bombing Hamas positions and weapons manufacturing sites.

• Bennett praises Egypt’s role after Sissi meeting, hails start of ‘deep relationship’
• Israel’s border crossing to Sinai reopens without restrictions
• Egypt ended Hamas-Israel war in Gaza – and thwarted ‘get tough’ approach from Biden

Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, are apparently responsible for the rocket fire, but it is likely happening with the consent of Hamas, if not with its encouragement. The organization is dissatisfied with the arrangement imposed by Israel – the delivery of two-thirds of the Qatari monthly financial grant, without the payment of salaries to Hamas workers. As long as the last-third problem, equivalent to $10 million, is not resolved, sporadic fire can be expected. Hamas also wants to speed up the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, while bypassing the Israeli demand to resolve the issue of the captives and MIAs. The gaps between the parties are probably too wide to settle very soon.