For the first time, an Israeli airliner is officially making a flight from Tel Aviv to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On board are Israeli and US officials who want to talk in Abu Dhabi about establishing more relations between Israel and the UAE.
Last weekend, UAE President and Emir of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, ended the boycott against Israel by decree. He has recently established diplomatic ties with Israel, which the emirates officially recognize.
The United States has worked with Israel to try to bring Israel out of isolation in the region, despite Israel’s refusal to return occupied territories to the Palestinians and to recognize a Palestinian state with Arab East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel is colonizing and annexing more and more occupied territory.
Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that still insists on Israel’s return of occupied territories before it is recognized. However, the Saudis have authorized El Al’s Israeli Boeing 737 to fly across the kingdom to Abu Dhabi.
The Americans and Israelis hope to persuade more Arab states to recognize Israel by establishing relationships. In the Arab world, only Egypt, Jordan and the UAE now have diplomatic relations with Israel.
