Amb: Egypt will never again be Israel's enemy

Israel's Ambassador to Egypt, Haim Koren has downplayed the Egyptian parliament’s angry reaction to his meeting with an Egyptian MP, saying the relations between the two sides would not be harmed by the measure.

Speaking to BBC Arabic, Koren said “this is an internal Egyptian issue that has nothing to do with Israel.”

"My presence is accepted everywhere in Egypt. We have good relations with Egypt. I meet daily with Egyptian officials, including members of the government,” the ambassador claimed.

Asked about the cooperation between Egypt and Israel, Koren replied, "We are working on a daily basis with the authorities in Egypt and share our knowledge with them. We have understandings about the situation in Sinai. Due to current situation in the region, it is natural that we will cooperate in various fields.”

The ambassador also lumped the ISIS terror group and the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas into one single group and said “the biggest enemy of Egypt today is terrorism - Hamas in Gaza and ISIS in the Sinai.”

"There is no chance that we will act against Egypt. It is in the interest of Israel that Egypt will develop and succeed," Koren told BBC Arabic.