Israel asks Saudis to let Mecca pilgrims fly direct from Tel Aviv
Muslims living in Israel had to travel indirectly to Saudi Arabia in order to travel to the Land of Revelation and attend the Hajj ceremonies, because there is no direct flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia, but now the Israeli authorities are trying to establish a direct flight between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Issawi Frej, the Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation, announced that he had sent an official request to Saudi Arabia to approve a direct flight from Tel Aviv to the country’s airports.
According to what was reported by RT news website and quoted by Hebrew news sources, the Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation admitted, “I discussed this issue with Saudi Arabia, and I hope that this day will come soon.”
Frej added in this regard: The cost of travel through third world countries may reach $11,500 for a one-week trip, while pilgrims from Arab countries pay about half of this amount.
Meanwhile, after the process of normalizing Arab relations with Israel, which was implemented by the UAE and Bahrain in 2020, Saudi Arabia allowed Israeli planes to pass through the country’s airspace, a measure that has now led to an increase in Israeli flights.
