CAIRO – Israel's Embassy in Egypt is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the country's founding for the first time since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
The party at the Nile Ritz Carlton is a step up for diplomacy in the Arab world's most populous country, where ties have deepened under the rule of general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who came to power after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor in 2013.
It has also raised eyebrows in the Egyptian media, traditionally a hotbed of anti-Israel sentiment.
Some commentators have voiced opposition to the event, especially given Israeli soldiers' recent killing of Gazan demonstrators. But hundreds of Egyptian notables are attending the event hosted by Ambassador David Govrin.
Israel closed its embassy in 2011 after crowds stormed the building, but it has since reopened.
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