President Donald Trump may have made history today when he flew on Air Force One from Saudi Arabia to Israel.
When the presidential plane touched down in Tel Aviv, it may have completed its first direct flight between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations, as Saudi Arabia does not consider Israel a state, Fox News reported.
Trump is on the second leg of his first trip abroad since taking office in January. He will be visiting Palestinian territories as well.
A spokesman for the Israel Airport Authority said he was not aware of any direct flights to have ever landed in Israel from Saudi Arabia. There are no direct flights between the two countries, and flights from either country bypass the other’s air space.
The only direct flights from Israel to Arab states are to Jordan and Egypt. Both have signed peace treaties with Israel.
Trump’s flight reflects a warming relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump when they arrived in Tel Aviv.
In a speech, Netanyahu said he hopes “that one day an Israeli prime minister will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Riyadh.”
“We have a rare opportunity to bring stability and peace in this region, defeat terror and create a future of peace,” Trump said shortly after his arrival. “We can only get there by working together – there is no other way.”
(H/T: Fox News)
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