Israel’s government on Friday responded to the latest revelations about its alleged air strike against Syria last September in the same way it did when news of the attack first broke: it said nothing.

Behind the scenes, however, there was genuine satisfaction among Israeli officials with the series of briefings on the strike that were given by the Bush administration in Washington. The hearings, Israeli officials argued, had served the purpose of strengthening Israel’s deterrence – but without undermining the latest diplomatic efforts between the two countries.