The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Wednesday that its low-cost carrier flydubai will commence direct flights to Israel this month with twice-daily services between Dubai and Tel Aviv. The announcement comes after the two nations agreed in August to formally establish diplomatic ties and normalise relations.
Starting November 26, state-owned airline flydubai will operate 14 weekly services between the UAE’s and Israel’s financial capitals. According to the airline’s website, tickets are now available for the first regular commercial service between two cities. Under the terms of the recent bilateral agreement, the airline’s initial route was through either Africa or Asia. However, after Saudi Arabia released a statement allowing the Gulf state to use Saudi airspace to fly to Israel, the flight will now save almost seven hours of flying time.
Similarly, Israeli airlines Israir and Arkia are also expected to start flying between the two cities beginning December 9, although no official statement has been released yet. El Al Israel Airlines, the country’s biggest carrier, has not advertised flights as of now. The aviation industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely curtailed the number of flights this year.
Exciting that we keep getting to make these! First UAE 🇦🇪 delegation to Israel 🇮🇱 on @etihad (with Israelis, Emirates and Americans onboard) 🇺🇸🇦🇪🇮🇱 w/ @AdamUSDFC pic.twitter.com/lZ6zrFHfMM
— Avi Berkowitz (@aviberkow45) October 20, 2020
Following the signing of the Abraham Accords Declaration at the White House in Washington DC in August, the first Emirati delegation flew from Dubai to Tel Aviv to discuss avenues for increased cooperation between the two sides. An American team, led by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other US officials, also accompanied the party. The UAE delegation, led by Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq al-Mari and Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid al-Tayer, signed several commercial deals, including a historic agreement allowing Emiratis and Israeli citizens to travel visa-free between the two countries. Israel has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but visas are required for travel.
BREAKING: Israel and the UAE will sign a mutual visa exemption agreement tomorrow, Israeli officials tell me. Israelis visiting UAE will not need a visa. Emiratis visiting Israel will not need a visa. Israel doesn't have such an agreement with any other Arab country
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 19, 2020
Following the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan have also agreed to normalize relations with the Jewish state. Brokered by the US, the agreements aim to maintain peace in the Middle East and around the world based on a mutual understanding to co-exist and promote economic development by creating investment opportunities. The move also serves the US’s interests by creating a regional bloc against its adversary, Iran. Just four-weeks after signing a preliminary agreement, Bahrain took the first step by allowing an Israeli aircraft to land in Manama. However, Israeli and Sudanese officials still have to negotiate cooperation in aviation, trade, economy, and other aspects over the coming weeks.
The ongoing cooperation between Israel and the Gulf and Arab states has received a lot of criticism from Palestinian officials, who have accused Arab nations of “betrayal”. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization member, argued that the visits and deals would only validate Israeli forces’ crimes against the Palestinians. However, this is not the first time that an Arab country has made a bilateral agreement with Israel. Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel in 1979 shattered the myth of Arab rejectionism, and Jordan followed suit in 1994. Though the deals were made on the Israeli promise to end its occupation and annexation in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, the promise has never been honored.
The decision of visa-free travel was another blow for Palestinians. Under Israel’s color-coded ID system, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are not allowed to travel to the Gaza Strip, and vice versa. Palestinian Jerusalemites are subject to having their residency rights withdrawn if they live in the other occupied territories. Palestinian refugees, who number more than six million scattered around the world, are not allowed by Israel to return to their homeland at all, even for a visit.
These evolving agreements between Israel and different Gulf and Arab states might paint a picture of long-elusive peace finally coming to the Middle East; however, long-lasting peace and stability will only be possible when Palestine is included in the conversation, and a two-state solution is achieved.