«Israel» Seeking Saudi Flight to Mecca

Local Editor

As part of the talk of normalization between "Israel" and the Saudi Arabia, Tel Aviv is trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to allow it to send special Hajj pilgrimage flights to Mecca, building on Trump administration efforts to strengthen cooperation between Tel Aviv and Riyadh.

According to Bloomberg, "Israel" seeks to fly directly into the kingdom from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, "Israel" Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said.

"Reality has changed," Kara said in an interview this week at his office in Occupied Al-Quds. "This is a good time to make the request, and I'm working hard on it."

Ideally, "Israeli" travelers to Mecca should be able to fly non-stop from Tel Aviv, but the route being negotiated may have a stop in Jordan or another country, Kara said.

Kara said he's spoken to government officials in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other countries about the Hajj plan and they're "ready to do it, but it's very sensitive and it's still a matter of negotiation."

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation did not immediately respond to an email and telephone call requesting comment.

"RJ usually transports Arab 48 Hajj or Omrah passengers from Tel Aviv to Amman and then from Amman to Jeddah or Medina and vice versa," the spokesman said in emailed comments.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website