Historic Israel-UAE flight lands in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a highranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first direct commercial passenger flight between the 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 have evolved over years of shared enmity toward Iran.
With the U.S. as matchmaker, Israel and the Emirates agreed last month to work toward normalization.
The American delegation included President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and 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 visit a “historic breakthrough” and expressed hope this “will be the first of many” such flights.
State television in Abu Dhabi broke into its broadcast to show 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.
The El Al flight, numbered LY971 after the UAE’s international calling code number, flew into Saudi Arabian airspace shortly 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.
Saudi King Salman, along with other Gulf Arab leaders to varying degrees, maintain their boycotts of Israel in support of Palestinians obtaining an independent state.