face-saver

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi now faces only an obscure politician who stepped forward at the last minute to enter the race as a face-saver for the government.

When Trump returned with a $2 million television ad buy two weeks ago, even fellow Republicans panned the move as a financially unjustifiable face-saver, one meant to beat back rumors that he was pulling out of the state entirely.

This deal is a face-saver for both sides: economic advantages for Israel in the form of future gas exports via Turkey, the lessening of isolation for Turkey as well as an easing of the harsh humanitarian conditions for 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza.

“Let them have their face-saver,” Ms. Pelosi said of the Republicans.

“Let them have their face-saver. But let us have the resources to do what we have to do.”