First direct Israel-UAE flight lands in Abu Dhabi

A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between your two countries.

The Israeli flag carrier’s flight marked the implementation of the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two nations and solidifies the long-clandestine ties between them that contain evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran.

With the U.S. as matchmaker, Israel and the Emirates agreed earlier this month to work toward normalization, which would make it the 3rd Arab nation to have full relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan. Unlike those two nations, Israel hasn't fought a war against the UAE and hopes to have much-warmer relations.

The American delegation included President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Israel was represented by national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and other top officials.

At an airport ceremony in Abu Dhabi, Kushner called the search for a “historic breakthrough” and expressed hope this “is definitely the to begin many” such flights.

“There is excellent urgency between the people of both countries to break down old barriers, to access know each other, to create new and hopefully very deep friendships,” he said.

State television in Abu Dhabi broke into its broadcast showing the airplane on the tarmac and aired the comments of all officials, including Ben-Shabbat, who spoke in Arabic and Hebrew. No Emirati officials spoke at the ceremony.

“We came here in broad daylight and prior to the eyes of all in a plane bearing the flag of Israel along with this American friends,” Ben-Shabbat said. “Israel and the UAE have much in common. Our region is packed with challenges and threats. But we've the strength and the capability to stand against them."

The El Al flight, numbered LY971 following the UAE’s international calling code number, flew into Saudi Arabian airspace soon after takeoff and later passed over the capital, Riyadh. That marked another historic first for Israel and signaled acquiescence by the kingdom for the UAE's move.

“These were very gracious to allow us to fly over their airspace, which they’ve never done before, for an Israeli commercial plane," Kushner said.

He said he'd be traveling to Saudi Arabia following the visit. Kushner and other officials have said they hope more Arab nations will follow the UAE in establishing ties with Israel, even without a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Saudi King Salman, and also other Gulf Arab leaders to varying degrees, maintain their boycotts of Israel to get Palestinians obtaining an independent state. Any regular flights between Israel and the UAE would require Saudi clearance to be profitable. Otherwise the three hour, 20 minute flight could have taken a lot more than seven hours.

The plane was decorated with the what for peace in Arabic, Hebrew and English above the pilot’s window.

The Israeli delegation will remain in the administrative centre, Abu Dhabi, for just one night before returning home on El Al flight LY972, a reference to Israel’s international calling code.

Private jets have earlier flown between your two nations as part of covert talks, and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways flew cargo freighters to Israel before to provide coronavirus aid to the Palestinians. But the high-profile flight Monday looked to put a good stamp on the surprise Aug. 13 White House announcement of Israel and the UAE establishing ties.

Since then, calls were connected, and the UAE’s ruler issued a decree formally ending the country’s decades-long boycott of Israel. Some Israeli firms have already signed deals with Emirati counterparts, and Monday’s visit is likely to usher in further business cooperation.

The UAE has touted the offer as a tool to force Israel into halting its contentious intend to annex elements of the West Bank sought by the Palestinians because of their future state. In addition, it can help the Emirates acquire advanced U.S. weapons systems that contain been previously unattainable, including the F-35 fighter jet. Currently, Israel may be the only country in your community with the stealth warplanes.

The Palestinians, however, have fiercely opposed the normalization as peeling away among their few advantages in moribund peace talks with Israel. Palestinians have held public protests and burned the UAE flag in anger.

In the West Bank, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said it had been “very painful” to see the flight happen. He also criticized El Al for deciding on a plane named for Kiryat Gat, a southern Israeli city built nearby the ruins of what were once Arab villages prior to the 1948 establishment of Israel.

Through the Arab-Israeli war in those days, thousands of Egyptian troops were encircled by Israeli forces, including future Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

“It hurts us quite definitely today when an Israeli plane lands in the Emirates, under the flight name Kiryat Gat, the settlement that was built on the occupied Palestinian lands of the city of Fallujah in which Gamal Abdel Nasser was trapped, in a clear and a blatant violation of the Arab position toward the Arab-Israeli conflict,” he said.

Shtayyeh's government has severed ties with the U.S. and rejected Trump's Mideast plan, saying it unfairly favors Israel.

In a mention of the Palestinians, Kushner said "the few who've been critical of the peace agreement will be the ones with a long history of failure and trapping their persons in misery and poverty.”

But he also said he sent a message of “hope” to the Palestinians.

“When they are prepared, the whole region is very excited to greatly help lift them up and move them forward. However they can't be stuck in the past," he said.

Israelis eagerly anticipate the chance of mutual embassies, expanding tourism to the Gulf and solidifying business opportunities with another country that shares its penchant for technology and innovation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touted the deal as validation of his vision that regional peace doesn’t require Palestinian acquiescence or come at the cost of ceding land.

But he has come under fire from supporters at home for seemingly quitting on dreams of annexation and tacitly agreeing to the F-35 sale that could undermine Israel’s regional superiority. Kushner reiterated the U.S. commitment to maintaining Israel's qualitative military advantage over its Arab neighbors.

For Trump, the accord gives an integral foreign policy victory as he faces a tough reelection campaign. In addition, it helps solidify an emerging anti-Iran alliance that includes Israel and pro-Western Arab governments.