Israeli officials were confident that Saudi Arabia would approve a civilian Israeli rescue flight to repatriate passengers stranded after the Flydubai emergency landing, but were surprised when Riyadh refused, according to i24NEWS. El Al and the Israeli Air Force submitted proposals, including an unmarked aircraft, but Saudi Arabia declined. A source close to the Saudi royal family told i24NEWS: 'Israel needs to understand that normalization cannot be forced.' Israeli passengers were eventually returned via a separate FlyDubai flight.
Israeli officials were caught off guard by Saudi Arabia's refusal to approve a civilian Israeli rescue flight to repatriate passengers stranded after the Flydubai emergency landing in Tabuk, according to a report broadcast by i24NEWS on Wednesday evening. The report said that Israel's expectations were based on recent diplomatic signals and ongoing normalization negotiations. Both El Al and the Israeli Air Force submitted operational proposals, including one offering an unmarked aircraft, but these were rejected by Riyadh.
A source close to the Saudi royal family told i24NEWS that 'Israel needs to understand that normalization cannot be forced,' suggesting that Saudi Arabia views the episode as a test of its sovereignty and terms of engagement.
The Israeli passengers were eventually brought home on a separate FlyDubai flight. The refusal marks a notable diplomatic setback amid an incident that had seen rare real-time coordination between Israeli, Jordanian, and Saudi air forces during the in-flight emergency, as The Zioneer previously reported.
2 developments
- StrongThe Zioneer assesses Saudi-Israel cooperation during Flydubai incident was incomplete
- DevelopingSaudi, Jordanian fighter jets scrambled alongside IAF during Flydubai emergency, Israeli media reports
- ConfirmedSaudi Arabia opens aviation safety investigation after Flydubai hijacking attempt
- StrongDoctor: 'Within seconds we knew it was a terror attack' – treating stabbed Flydubai pilot
Source and signal
- Open-source intake