The Israeli regime has threatened to halt flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and warned of a “regional crisis” if the Arab country fails to accept its aviation security arrangements in Dubai.
According to Reuters, a senior Israeli official said the regime’s Transport Minister Merav Michaeli extended a deadline over an aviation security dispute on Tuesday, giving Dubai a month to agree to Israel’s terms.
The current arrangement was due to expire on Tuesday.
At the same time, Israel increased pressure on the UAE over arrangements at Dubai International Airport.
The Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, warned that Israel could eventually end its aviation cooperation with the UAE.
“If El Al can’t fly to the Emirates, then Emirati companies can’t land here,” said the official.
“The crisis could be regional, not just bilateral,” the Israeli official said, citing UAE’s cornerstone role in the normalization of relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries. “It could have a huge impact.”
Since they reached the so-called Abraham Accords at the White House in August 2020, Israel and the UAE have signed a raft of deals in various areas, ranging from tourism to aviation and financial services.
Top Israeli authorities have made unprecedented visits to the UAE. The regime’s prime minister Naftali Bennett made the trip in December last year, while Israeli president Isaac Herzog visited Abu Dhabi over a week ago.
Direct El Al, Israir, and Arkia connections from Tel Aviv to Dubai were established under the 2020 normalization deal, as a result of which hundreds of thousands of Israelis have visited the UAE commercial hub since.
But Israel’s Shin Bet spy agency has warned that the three national carriers would stop operating at Dubai International Airport if its security requirements were not met there.
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Emirati state carrier flydubai also operates direct Dubai-Tel Aviv flights. Dubai airline Emirates and UAE’s Etihad Airways have also been looking to launch flights to Israel.
While Shin Bet has suggested that UAE capital Abu Dhabi could serve as an alternative to Dubai for the Israeli carriers, the senior Israeli official ruled this out, saying Abu Dhabi was not a good option economically.
“Abu Dhabi may be an option security-wise, but it is not an economic option,” the official said.
Israel has a long history of conducting massive espionage operations in other countries.
Back in 2010, the Israeli spy agency Mossad assassinated the co-founder of Hamas military wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades Mahmoud al-Mabhouh at Al Bustan Rotana hotel in Dubai.
The regime in Tel Aviv has also sold its phone-hacking spyware Pegasus to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have used Pegasus on political opponents, journalists, and even world leaders.
Meanwhile, Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai cut short his official trip to the UAE on Tuesday and rushed back to Israel to deal with a growing scandal over reports of spying, including on members of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner circle.
A day earlier, an Israeli newspaper reported that the Israeli police illegally used the spyware, including on the phones of Netanyahu’s son and others, prompting a high-level investigation.
“In light of recent publications and in order to keep a close eye on developments, the commissioner will shorten his visit,” the police said in a statement, adding that the police “has nothing to hide from the public.”
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