Ben Shabbat comments on Israel-UAE flight after landing

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

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.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi following the historic flight Ben-Shabbat said both the UAE and Israel had much in common.

He said: "Our region is full of challenges and threats. But we have the strength and the ability to stand against them."

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.

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

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.

(Image Credit: AP)