Senior Trump administration officials will join Israeli government leaders on the first commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates next week, highlighting the historic decision by the two Middle East countries to normalize relations.
A White House official told The Hill on Tuesday that senior White House adviser Jared KushnerJared Corey KushnerPam Bondi launches attack on Hunter Biden at GOP convention US officials announce first Israel-UAE commercial flight for next week Jared Kushner will take first commercial flight between Israel and UAE MORE, President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: GOP seeks to detoxify Trump at convention Harris honors Women’s Equality Day in op-ed, calls for voting reform Trump breaks with precedent on second night of convention MORE‘s son-in-law, would lead the U.S. delegation alongside national security adviser Robert O’BrienRobert O’BrienUS officials announce first Israel-UAE commercial flight for next week Jared Kushner will take first commercial flight between Israel and UAE Sunday shows preview: Mail-in voting, USPS funding dominates political debate before conventions MORE. The plane used for the flight will likely be an Israeli El Al airliner, The Associated Press reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE reportedly announced that his nation’s top security official, Meir Ben-Shabbat, would lead Israel’s delegation.
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“This is a historic agreement,” Netanyahu said Tuesday, according to the AP. “It will spur growth. It will help bring general economic growth, especially during the coronavirus era. I hope that other countries in our region will join the circle of peace.”
Next week’s flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi follows an agreement between the U.S., the UAE and Israel earlier this month that involved Israel halting its annexation of Palestinian territories.
Trump has vowed to build on the progress of the UAE-Israel agreement, promising to strike a deal with Iran’s leaders within days if he’s reelected in November. Foreign policy experts, however, are skeptical that an agreement between Washington and Tehran could be reached as long as tough sanctions remain in place on Iran.