After the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, there was serious concern in Israel and the U.S. about whether Egypt’s alliance with the Jewish state would survive. Although there was indeed some initial distancing between the two countries, especially during the time the Muslim Brotherhood was ensconced in Cairo, ties now seem to be stronger than ever. Mohamed Soliman, however, points to the alliance’s Achilles heel (free registration required):
However open the [current government under President Sisi] might be to a better relationship with Israel, the Egyptian public is still very wary. . . . [R]ecent polling . . . indicates that most of the Egyptian public is still hostile [toward the Jewish state]. Israel received an 88-percent disapproval rating, making it the most disliked country in the survey.
As Sisi focuses Cairo’s attention on the fight against political Islam, there is reason to believe that Israel will have a partner in Egypt for the foreseeable future. But the state of Egyptian-Israeli relations remains a work in progress in the court of public opinion. The Egyptian-Israel relationship is growing as military cooperation has extended into a larger political and diplomatic alliance. Egypt’s transfer of two Red Sea islands [to the Saudis] will help Israel open itself to its undeclared ally in Saudi Arabia. Sisi perceives Israel as a strong ally in his war against the Islamist organizations in the Sinai. Now it up to the Egyptian public to determine that this partnership is a good one, too.
Read more on Foreign Affairs: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2016-05-10/renewing-alliance