Today, Friday, US President Joe Biden left Israel on his way to Saudi Arabia on the first direct trip by an American president from Tel Aviv to the Kingdom, which is his third and final leg on his tour that included Israel and Palestine.
The US presidential plane, Air Force 1, departed directly from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia, on its first official direct flight from Israel.
Biden praised Saudi Arabia's decision to open its airspace to all civil aircraft, and said it paves the way for a more integrated Middle East. A senior US administration official said that Israel's integration with the Arab world will be on the agenda of President Biden's talks in Jeddah.
In a statement to the White House, President Biden said that he would be the first president of the United States to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, describing Saudi Arabia's decision to open its airspace to all civil aircraft as historic, especially those flying to and from Israel.
Biden considered this an important step to build a more integrated and stable Middle East region, according to the statement.
The US president said Riyadh's decision could help build momentum toward Israel's further integration into the region, including with Saudi Arabia.
He added that he will do what he can through direct diplomacy and engagement between leaders to continue advancing what he described as the ground-breaking process.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority had announced the opening of the Kingdom's airspace to all air carriers that meet transit requirements.
The authority said in a statement published on its Twitter account that the decision comes as a continuation of the efforts to consolidate the Kingdom's position as a global platform linking the three continents and to enhance international air connectivity.
She also made it clear that the decision comes within the framework of the Kingdom's keenness to fulfill its obligations under the 1944 Chicago Convention, which stipulates non-discrimination between civil aircraft used in international air navigation.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid described the announcement of the opening of Saudi airspace for Israeli airlines as good news.
Lapid said in a tweet on Twitter that this came after a long, secret and intense diplomacy with Saudi Arabia and the United States.
He congratulated the Saudi leadership on opening the airspace, and said that this is the first step, and work on this matter will be continued with the necessary caution in the interest of the Israeli economy and the security of Israel and its citizens.
Before leaving for Saudi Arabia, Biden concluded his first visit - as president of the United States - to Israel and Palestine, and said that his commitment to achieving the goal of the two-state solution has not changed, but achieving this goal may seem far-fetched due to the restrictions imposed on the Palestinians.
Biden added - in a joint press conference he held in Bethlehem with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - that despair and despondency cannot shape the future, even if the ground is not ready to breathe life into the negotiations, as he put it.
For his part, Abbas demanded an end to the Israeli occupation, and said that the key to peace in the region is the recognition of a Palestinian state and enabling the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights.
He added that a two-state solution based on the 1967 territories may not be available in the future, and expressed his hope that the US administration would work to stop Israeli violations.