Français
Español
English
Portuguese
The Palestinian Authority is irate at the United Arab Emirates for landing a plane in Israel, despite the fact that the aircraft was laden with corona aid for Palestinians.
By Ezra Stone, United with Israel
On Thursday, the Palestinian Authority announced a new tactic to shoot itself in the foot: refusing to accept 16 tons of humanitarian aid destined for Palestinian communities.
The reason the PA refused to accept the much-needed supplies? The aid arrived on the historic first commercial flight from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Israel.
On Tuesday evening, an Etihad Airways plane arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, completing the first direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Israel.
While Israel and the UAE do not currently have official diplomatic relations, similar to most states in the Arab world, the two nations have forged covert ties over the years, much to the chagrin of the PA, which demands that all Arab nations boycott Israel.
The PA claimed it rejected the supplies because the donation wasn’t cleared directly with the PA, reported Palestinian news site Ma’an.
“The [PA] doesn’t want to serve as a bridge for the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel,” Bloomberg reported, based on Ma’an’s coverage.
During the past several years, high-profile Israelis such as Miri Regev and Israel Katz have made visits to the UAE, and the Israeli national anthem was played at a sporting event there in 2019.
The UAE joins other Arab nations enjoying warming relations with Israel, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman. Jordan and Egypt both signed peace treaties with Israel and maintain full diplomatic relations.
HELP ISRAELIS BATTLE CORONA!
Donate to the Corona Emergency Relief Fund. Coronavirus has taken a huge toll on the people of Israel. The poor, elderly and ill are most vulnerable.
Israeli soldiers, security officers and medical care providers operate under great danger and risk to life.
Over 1 million Israelis are out of work. Many cannot make ends meet. We provide financial aid, food, medical supplies and more. Funds are distributed where needed most. The time to act is now!
United with Israel extends a special note of appreciation to the Genesis Prize for their generous support.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!
