Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, last month took part in the celebration of Egypt’s Revolution Day (July 23) at the residence of Egyptian ambassador Hazem Khairat.

It was the first time since 2009 that Netanyahu has participated in the event.

Relations between Israel and Egypt were increasingly strained in recent years, and hit a low point during the short tenure of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi.

But despite an overall chilly atmosphere, the official working relationship between Netanyahu’s government and new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is considered good. Netanyahu has even endorsed an initiative by el-Sisi to broker Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was also in attendance, and told his Egyptian hosts, in Arabic, that “Israel stands by Egypt in its fight against terrorism. Our struggle will help the entire region and all of mankind. …Thirty-seven years of peace [between Israel and Egypt] is a testimony and we must learn from this for future generations.”

Netanyahu also spoke, congratulating the Egyptians on their Revolution Day, and noting that they and the Israelis are “two ancient peoples with a glorious history. Our two peoples laid the foundation for a human culture that has endured thousands of years, and today we must join hands and fight against those who would destroy our civilization. We must join hands in peace.”