Israeli plane makes history with flight to UAE
An Israeli airliner made a historic first flight from Tel Aviv to the United Arab Emirates on Monday in order to emphasise the new diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The El Al Boeing 737 – with the word "peace" printed in Arabic, English and Hebrew above the cockpit – flew from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, with a joint delegation of American and Israeli diplomats aboard, including Jared Kushner , President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor.
The Israeli passenger jet also made history by flying over Saudi Arabia, one of many countries that continues a historic boycott of Israel that followed the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
"This is the first time this has ever happened,” Mr Kushner said, shortly after landing in Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon. “I would like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for making that possible."
"While this is a historic flight, we hope that it will start an even more historic journey in the Middle East and beyond," he added. “This is a very hopeful time.”
Last month, the UAE said it would become only the third Middle Eastern country to normalise relations with Israel, in a deal motivated by a common hostility to Iran. The move has been condemned as a “betrayal” by the Palestinian leadership, however.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the flight as “peace for peace” and sent a message to the plane while it was flying through Saudi airspace.
Israel’s National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, was also aboard the flight with his American counterpart, Robert O’Brien.
Mr Kushner said that this week’s visit could bring “previously unthinkable” economic, security ties and tourism in the region and claimed that “the stage is set” for other Arab countries to follow suit by normalising relations with Israel.
A separate Israeli delegation is expected to travel next month to the UAE to discuss defence issues, although the prospect of Washington selling advanced F-35 fighter jets and other weapons to the UAE has stoked concerns in Jerusalem.
In response, Mr Kushner said that the Trump administration could be trusted to maintain Israel’s “military edge” over other regional powers, while pointing out that America already has a long defence partnership with the UAE.
Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a formal signing ceremony, in Washington DC, perhaps as early as September, between Mr Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
That could give President Trump a symbolic foreign policy victory ahead of his re-election bid in November, even as the Palestinian leadership opposes his and Mr Kushner’s so-called “deal of the century” proposals for Middle East peace.
Mr Kushner said that the Palestinians should not be "stuck in the past".
"They have to come to the table. Peace will be ready for them, an opportunity will be ready for them as soon as they are ready to embrace it," he added.
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said Mr Kushner and his team were currently "scrambling to convince as many Arab and Muslim leaders as possible" to normalise relations with Israel.
"They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region," she added.
