Saudi Arabia allows Israeli flights to use its airspace

• Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all civilian carriers, including Israel flights.
• Vice President Biden praised the action and said it may “support Israel’s broader integration with the region.”
• However, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Saudi admission was the result of “intense covert diplomacy.”

On Friday, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all civilian carriers, including Israel flights. As Vice President Biden travels the Middle East, ties are normalizing.

In a statement released hours before he went to Saudi Arabia from Israel, Biden praised the action and said it may “support Israel’s broader integration with the region.”

The Biden administration spent months formalizing security and economic relationships with Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The country may have a secret partnership with Israel, but they haven’t said. Netanyahu traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2020 for a covert meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto head of the kingdom. But Riyadh’s top diplomat refuted the claim.

A peace treaty between Israel and Saudi Arabia however called the “crown jewel” of Israel-Arab peace deals. In 2020, UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan made peace with Israel.

Saudi Arabia’s GACA said all airlines can use its airspace Thursday “Authority overflying rules.

The country wants to follow the 1944 Chicago Convention. Which says civil aircraft used for international air travel can’t be treated differently.”

After Saudi Arabia’s decision, Vice President Joe Biden vowed to keep the process moving “by direct diplomacy and leader-to-leader engagement.”

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the Saudi admission however the result of “intense covert diplomacy” He said the decision is “only the first step” and things will improve.

On Saturday, Lapid wished Biden luck in Jeddah.

The president will see King Salman and the crown prince Friday night.

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