September 1, 2020
US pressuring Saudi Arabia to join Israel-UAE meeting in Abu Dhabi
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
An Israeli media report says that the Americans are mounting pressure on Saudi Arabia to join a trilateral summit of Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US, which is due to be held in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The two-day visit will include working meetings of the joint teams ahead of the signing of cooperation deals following the U.S.-brokered agreement to normalize ties between Israel and UAE, which was announced on Aug. 13.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said on Sunday that Saudi envoys may arrive in Abu Dhabi on Monday to join the trilateral summit, which will focus on the normalization deal that Washington brokered between Israel and the UAE earlier this month.
The Israeli report said Jared Kushner, an advisor to Trump, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, US Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz, and other US officials will travel to the UAE together with an Israeli delegation led by Meir Ben-Shabbat, the Israeli security advisor.
Tellingly Kushner is also trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to join the signing ceremony of the normalization agreement in October.
“Ahead of the planned event in Washington, Kushner and his aides have recently been working with [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed] bin Salman to approve the dispatching of high-ranking Saudi envoys to Abu Dhabi as early as tomorrow, in parallel with the arrival of the Israeli delegation,” Yedioth Ahronoth said.
The Middle East Eye news portal had previously claimed that the Saudi Crown Prince had pulled out of a planned visit to Washington DC to meet Netanyahu after he received reports that news of his trip had been leaked.
Sources told MEE that Trump and Kushner have been pushing for the meeting to happen to relaunch bin Salman’s image as a young Arab peacemaker and shore up regional support for the deal between Israel and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia reacted cautiously to the Israel-UAE deal, saying it will stand by a 2002 Arab peace initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, without condemning the agreement that has angered supporters of the Palestinian cause.
Historic Milestone
In a historic milestone, an Israeli passenger plane flew through Saudi Arabian airspace Monday on the first direct non-cargo flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
El Al Flight 971, carrying high-level Israeli and US delegations, flew southeast down almost the entire length of Saudi Arabia to reach its destination in Abu Dhabi. It was the first time an Israeli plane was given permission by the kingdom to use its airspace.
By crossing Saudi airspace, the Boeing 737-900 jet, from Israel’s national carrier fleet, was able to shave nearly four hours off the flight time. About 1.5 hours after takeoff from Tel Aviv, the plane buzzed over Riyadh.
From Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to members of his staff on board the flight as it hovered above Riyadh.
In a video message shared to his social media accounts, the prime minister was seen on the phone with members of the Israeli delegation, cheering the “historic day” as he traced his finger over a map of Saudi Arabia and outlined the flight route.
Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has allowed Air India flights to Israel to use its airspace, but not Israeli airlines, which have to take a long detour via the Red Sea.
Citing unnamed sources, Channel 12 said Saudi Arabia had authorized the use of its airspace after receiving a request from Washington and only agreed to do so because a high-level American delegation is aboard the plane. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal ties, but are believed to cooperate closely covertly.
Three killed, several hurt in two UAE restaurant blastse Ferrari logo is seen outside a restaurant inside the Ferrari theme park in the Emirati capital of Abu
Three people were killed and several others were injured on Monday in two separate explosions in the United Arab Emirates’ as the Israeli-US delegation arrived in UAE.
The Abu Dhabi government media office said two people were killed in the blast in the capital, which the National daily reported had hit the KFC and Hardees restaurants on the city’s Rashid bin Saeed Street, the Middle East Monitor said.
The street is also known as a main road to the airport, where top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed Monday, in a historic trip between Israel and another Arab country.
Photos published on social and local media showed extensive damage to the two restaurants with a white plume of smoke rising from the ground floor of the building.
In Dubai, one person was killed when a gas cylinder exploded in a restaurant early on Monday, local media reported.
Abu Dhabi-owned The National newspaper, quoting a Dubai Civil Defense spokesperson, said the blast in Dubai had caused a blaze that damaged the ground floor of the building.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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