9607 landed at Israel’s Ben-Gurion international airport just after 7 a.mThe first commercial passenger flight to Israel by a carrier from the United Arab Emirates landed near Tel Aviv on Monday, further cementing a normalisation deal between the two countries. In August, a Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to Abu Dhabi, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries. Israel and the UAE announced in August they had agreed to normalise ties, setting off a flurry of business, banking and intergovernmental agreements, along with an end to a longstanding boycott by the UAE against Israel. Nearby Gulf monarchy Bahrain also signed an agreement on September 15 at the White House alongside the UAE to normalise relations with Israel. The UAE and Bahrain are the third and fourth Arab states to establish ties with Israel.

Source: The Hindu October 19, 2020 09:19 UTC