The Egyptians were furious: they realized in real time that Qatar was briefing

Egypt was furious after realizing in real time that Qatar was running an influence campaign against it, including systematic briefings from Israel. An Egyptian official met with an Israeli minister and conveyed messages to security and diplomatic officials, warning that Israel-Egypt relations have consequences. The affair was revealed on N12's 'Main Edition'.

Egypt was furious after realizing in real time that Qatar was running an influence campaign against it, including systematic briefings from Israel. This was revealed Tuesday evening on N12's 'Main Edition'. As part of the operation, Qatar did not limit itself to self-aggrandizement but demanded that the campaign include defamation against Egypt. The Egyptians quickly understood they were under a coordinated effort, and a senior Egyptian official came to Jerusalem and met with an Israeli cabinet member in the period before the entry into Rafah in spring 2024. The senior official told the minister: 'You are trying to push us away from the table,' and the minister replied: 'We want more cooperation with you around the IDF operation in Rafah.' The Egyptian official continued: 'Israel is not treating us with respect, and this has consequences.' Meanwhile, the message reached Israeli security officials in direct contact with their Egyptian counterparts, and an internal document from that time noted the Egyptian understanding and tension. An Israeli diplomatic official received a phone call from a senior Egyptian who asked: 'Why is Israel treating us this way.' The Egyptian understanding was that this was a timed campaign, during a volatile period when Israel needed cooperation with Cairo, and the Egyptians feared a refugee flow to Rafah. The briefings against Egypt are linked to the severe clause in the Qatargate affair - harming Israel's foreign relations.