Al-Sisi Draws High Marks for Cheerful Meeting with Netanyahu

Although Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh al-Sisi doesn’t fare as well among the human rights activists, he is drawing high marks for his willingness to interact publicly with Jews and Israelis. On Tuesday the adulation reached new heights when he not only met in public with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu but clearly enjoyed himself at the same time. During the meeting, photos were taken of the two leaders laughing it up – images that appeared briefly on social media but were apparently taken down, presumably for crossing the line of acceptability back home in Cairo. Nevertheless, Netanyahu apparently said “thanks” with his warm shout out to al-Sisi from the podium at the UN General Assembly. All of the previous meetings between the two men have been shielded from the public, but Tuesday’s comes amid Netanyahu’s troubles back home and his presumptive campaign to demonstrate the reversal of Israel’s perceived isolation under his leadership.