He has helped Israel further isolate the Hamas militants ruling the Gaza Strip, the tiny slice of Palestinian territory wedged between Egypt and Israel. After decades of wars followed by years of an uneasy peace, Israel has emerged as a discreet ally to Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, along with powerhouse Saudi Arabia and smaller, wealthy Gulf Arab countries. "This is one of the best times we've ever had" in terms of cooperation between governments, said Koren, a veteran diplomat and fluent Arabic speaker posted here since 2014. But the vast majority of them — including a cook wearing a Star of David T-shirt — were embassy employees. "There's good cooperation between the armies, we have understandings about the Sinai Peninsula, and basically, we see (eye-to-eye) on development of the region."

Source: Fox News July 04, 2016 17:37 UTC