On the wings of history: Ahead of the Israeli delegation's departure on Monday to the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, for talks on implementing the peace accord between the two countries, a senior official in the UAE's foreign ministry told Israel Hayom that authorities in Saudi Arabia have approved a request from Israeli national carrier El-Al to use the country's skies.
Beyond the historical and political significance of the fact that the Saudis allowed, for the first time ever, an Israeli airline to fly over their country, doing so will considerably reduce the flight time from seven-eight hours to around three hours, direct from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi.
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The senior Emirati diplomat told Israel Hayom that people in the UAE were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Israeli delegation. They have assured a warm and unforgettable welcome. "These are historic days, and we all feel tremendous pride over each and all of our roles in the peace agreement between us and Israel," said the official. "We are very excited about the possibility that we will soon have to visit Jerusalem and all of Israel."
He added: "We regret the Palestinian response to the historic agreement with Israel. The Palestinians must internalize that the diplomatic and geopolitical reality in the Middle East has changed in recent decades, particularly after the events of the Arab spring. It's not for nothing that countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, too, understand the enormity of the hour and are helping advance this step."
'In a context of trying to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, recognition by the Arab states for #Israel is something that should be taken for granted,' says @Martin_Indyk to @calev_i24: pic.twitter.com/Pzvx2jredr
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) August 30, 2020
On the Palestinian issue, the senior Emirati diplomat's words echo what officials in Abu Dhabi have been saying openly since the peace accord with Israel was announced on August 13. And yet, obstinacy remains the order of the day in the Palestinian Authority. The Fatah Central Committee convened on Sunday to stress the importance of unity against the challenges they now face.
Fatah: We will continue to resist
During this meeting, senior Fatah officials rehashed previous messages. "We reject any plan that seeks to erase the Palestinian issue, chief among them the [Trump administration's] deal of the century," Fatah said in a statement upon the meeting's conclusion. "We salute the steadfastness of our prisoners in Israeli jails and emphasize that their struggle will not be for naught. We will continue to fight for their release." The next meeting of the Fatah Central Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, and the main topic of discussion, obviously, will be the Israeli delegation's historic visit to Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, another senior UAE official told Israel Hayom that in Abu Dhabi preparations were being made to receive the American and Israeli delegations. The delegations will hold formal talks with their UAE counterparts on implementing a wide range of cooperation agreements in the fields of security and intelligence, air travel, tourism, technology, health, commercial ties, culture and leisure.
'Waiting for other countries'
"We received requests from many officials in Arab countries and around the world who wanted to partake in the historic event and come to Abu Dhabi," said the senior Emirati official. "We hope the agreement between us and Israel will give a push to other countries that are interested in taking part in this process, which will not only bring peace, security and stability to our region, but also economic, technological and medical prosperity on behalf of the peoples of the region."
As a reminder, the ruler of the UAE, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued a decree Saturday formally ending the country's boycott of Israel and officially opening the door to Israelis and Israeli firms to do business there.
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