NEW YORK – JULY 22: An El Al Airlines plane sits at Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy Airport July 22, 2014 in New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted all flights from the U.S. to Tel Aviv, Israel following a rocket attack near Ben Gurion International Airport. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) White House senior adviser Jared Kushner announced on Sept. 9 that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will start allowing their airspace to be used for all Israeli flights traveling east.
Kushner said in a press briefing that Israel’s ability to use Saudi and Bahraini airspace “will cut down a lot of the travel time between different countries that [will] allow people from Saudi Arabia to go to Europe faster if they fly over Israel, and people [traveling] from Israel to Asia and Asia to Israel to have much more connectivity.”
The Times of Israel noted that Israeli flights headed east in the past have been “forced to take a detour of several hours skirting the Gulf and Iran on flights to the Far East.” Additionally, The Times of Israel pointed out that Bahrain controls a significant amount of Qatari airspace, which could reduce Israeli flight times by 20 minutes to and from the UAE.
“You have a lot of excitement building in the Arab and Muslim world, with people wanting to go to Israel to visit the tourist sites and to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque,” Kushner said. “You’re seeing kosher restaurants opening up now in Dubai. Every day, we’re seeing new announcements, which is showing the progress that this peace is bringing to the Middle East.”
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) tweeted, “Another important step forward for regional prosperity and peace!”
Historic: Saudi Arabia🇸🇦 and Bahrain🇧🇭 will allow all flights to and from Israel🇮🇱 to fly through their airspace. Another important step forward for regional prosperity and peace!
https://t.co/fMCV1xAODt— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) September 10, 2020
AJC Global Communications Director Avi Mayer tweeted that the airspace announcement came in the same 24 hours that the Arab League rebuffed a Palestinian Authority resolution condemning the Israel-United Arab Emirates agreements and Abu Dhabi requiring their hotels to serve kosher food.
In the past 24 hours
* The Arab League refused to condemn the Israel-UAE peace deal
* It was reported that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will allow all flights to/from Israel to fly through their airspace
* Abu Dhabi directed all hotels to start offering kosher food
Remarkable.
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) September 9, 2020
On Sept. 2, the Saudis announced that Israel could use their airspace for flights to and from the UAE, although they reiterated their position that the Saudis won’t normalize ties with Israel until a Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders is established.
However, Kushner suggested that the Saudis are frustrated with the Palestinian leadership.
“A lot of people are losing patience with the Palestinian leadership,” he said.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.