Sunday's international donors conference on Gaza aid in Cairo could be a springboard for bringing Egypt back to the top of the Arab world’s diplomatic pyramid and provide substantial reinforcement for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – should it succeed.

If it fails – that is, if its decisions are not carried out, it could be a serious blow to the leadership of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, and destroy Abbas’ status as the leader of the Palestinian people.

The reports from Cairo, particularly the extensive coverage the conference received all day on the state TV channel (including live broadcasts) indicate what Egypt is seeking. After three years of governmental instability and one of the worst economic crises in the country’s history, Egypt wants to be at the forefront of the Arab and Islamic worlds’ diplomatic stage – not Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with all their money, or Turkey whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is building himself up as his country’s undisputed leader and head of the international Muslim Brotherhood.