White House advisor Kushner hopes Israel-UAE flight will start 'historic Mideast journey'

White House advisor Jared Kushner, who boarded the first Israel-UAE commercial flight to ever enter the Saudi airspace called the resumption of UAE-Israel air travel as “historic”. In a press conference, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser said that flight 971 of Israel's national carrier El Al marks the historic commencement of the 'Mideast journey'. The first commercial passenger plane to UAE took off on August 31 from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv for Abu Dhabi with a joint US-Israeli delegation onboard led by President Donald Trump's son-in-law. 

In an address shortly prior to the plane’s takeoff, Kushner hailed the US-brokered Israel-UAE peace agreement, saying, “While this is a historic flight, we hope that it will start an even more historic journey in the Middle East and beyond.” A day earlier, on August 29, Kushner addresses the press alongside  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien calling the first flight’s scheduled take-off for the next day of “great symbolic value” and “a key step in what is expected to be full normalization between Israel and the UAE.” UAE becomes the third Arab country and the first Gulf nation after Egypt and Jordan to allow an Israeli plane to enter. 

“Today obviously we celebrate a historic breakthrough for peace,” Kushner said, adding, the Trump negotiated deal implemented “previously unthinkable” economic, security, and religious cooperation.

“While this peace agreement was thought by many to be impossible, the stage is now set for even more,” he added, hopeful that many Gulf nations will look forward to normalizing ties with Israel.

“We must seize that optimism and we must continue to push to make this region achieve the potential that it truly has," US President’s chief Mideast adviser said at the conference. 

Read: Trump Adviser Says More Arab, Muslim Nations Likely To Normalise Ties With Israel

Read: Israeli, US Delegations Depart To UAE In 1st Direct Flight

On August 29, for the first time, UAE approved an Israeli El Al plane from Tel Aviv to mark its journey in the kingdom. While a formal agreement on air travel is expected to be signed between the two nations in Washington in weeks ahead, the two previously rival nations agreed to allow planes to fly from Israel to the Emirates. Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said at the conference and on Twitter that he was willing to negotiate peace with other countries in the Gulf region on the basis of the Trump plan.”As more Arab and Muslim countries join the circle of peace, the Palestinians will eventually understand their veto has dissipated,” he said. 

Air India Boeing 787-8 first-ever to enter

Earlier, India made history in 2018 after Saudi allowed an Air India 139 plane to enter its airspace that landed at Israel’s Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport after  7-1/2 hours. Riyadh had never previously granted any planes including Air India overflight rights, according to reports. Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s entry in Saudi airspace broke the almost 70-year-old ban on air carriers to or Israel through Saudi airspace as Saudi did not recognize Israel. India’s plane had also flown over Oman, according to Reuters report, which also does not recognize Israel that gave India an advantage over the rest of the countries in the world.

[US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and U.S. President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner prepare to board a flight with an Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi for talks meant to put final touches on the normalization deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, at Ben-Gurion International Airport. Credit: AP]

[The Arabic, English, and Hebrew word for "peace" is seen on the Israeli flag carrier El Al's airliner which will carry Israeli and U.S. delegations to Abu Dhabi. Credit: AP]

[Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, left, U.S. President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner, center, and U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, right, board the Israeli flag carrier El Al's airliner. Credit: AP]

Read: Protesters Gather Outside Israeli PM's Office In Jerusalem

Read: Israel Hopes To Sign US-brokered Peace Deal With UAE By Mid-September

(With Agency Inputs)

(Image Credit: AP)