CAIRO — Egyptian-Israeli relations are witnessing unprecedented cooperation under Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Since the signing of the Camp David Accords in September 1978, Egypt has cooperated with Israel on certain matters, but what is new is the Israeli side’s attitude. As Sisi denies Egypt its leading role in the region, the Israeli political administration continues to hold talks with regional countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that relations with Turkey were normalized again June 28, and that he had briefed the Egyptian president on the progress of the talks with Turkey. Netanyahu gave no details, however, about his phone call with Sisi.

Only four days later, Netanyahu announced a whirlwind tour of Africa to visit Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, as Israel sought to embellish its image and change it from a colonial entity to a state that enjoys bilateral security and economic cooperation with African countries.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced July 10 a visit to Israel by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. The ministry described the visit as “important,” as Shoukry's meeting with Netanyahu was the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister in nine years. Shoukry had met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on a similar visit to Ramallah on June 29, during which he conveyed a message from the Egyptian president to his Palestinian counterpart. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not disclose the content of the message, and the two sides agreed to coordinate in the days following the visit.

Tarek Fahmy, the head of Israeli studies at the National Center for Middle Eastern Studies, told Al-Monitor that Shoukry’s visit is an exploratory visit aimed at discovering the dimensions of the Israeli position on ideas previously put forward by Sisi in regard to the Arab initiative, all the while listening to the Israeli proposals regarding any amendments or ideas related to this initiative.