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The covert alliance between Egypt and Israel on counterterrorism shows how the rise of ISIL and other jihadist groups have helped forge quiet partnerships between Israel and its longtime Arab adversaries.

Israeli security officials say that their regional security concerns increasingly align with those of the Persian Gulf states. In 2016, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israeli officials were secretly meeting with counterparts from the gulf in “closed rooms” united against a common “bad guy” — Iran.

A former U.S. official described the covert counterterrorism alliance between Israel and Egypt as a “big deal” but said that in recent years, counterterrorism relationships have become “a little bit insulated from ups and downs” of the region’s tumultuous politics.

Photo by Samer Abdallah/AP Photo

“The public perception of those two countries and how they relate is not in sync with how they work together privately on counterterrorism,” said the former official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive alliance.

Another former U.S. official said the cooperation underscores how ineffective the Egyptians have been in combating militants on their own soil.

It's a symptom of how close the two countries have become in security cooperation

“It’s a symptom of how close the two countries have become in security cooperation,” said the former official, who worked on issues in the region. “But it illustrates how poorly the Egyptians have done dealing with the terrorist threat. Both Israel and the United States have complained about the fact the Egyptians have not taken advice and recommendations the United States have been offering for some time.”