Trump's trip to Israel may have made history before he even got off the plane
When President Trump landed in Israel on Monday, he may have made history before even stepping off the plane. The Associated Press noted Monday that Trump's direct flight from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv may have been the first such trip ever made with no stops.
A spokesman for the Israel Airport Authority said he was not aware of any other direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Israel. The two nations do not have diplomatic relations, as Saudi Arabia does not recognize the Jewish state. While Trump, aboard Air Force One, made the trip without any layovers, even the plane carrying the White House press corps was required to make a technical stop in Cyprus before landing in Tel Aviv.
While neither Saudi Arabia nor Israel can explicitly weigh in on the president's travel plans, the direct flight "reflects the warming relationship between them," AP notes, adding that "the two countries have reportedly developed covert ties based on their shared concerns over Iran's growing regional influence."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Later Monday, Trump made history once more, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem. Kimberly Alters
Update 2:39 p.m. ET: Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post points out that in 2008, former President George W. Bush made a similar direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Bush, however, departed from Israel and landed in Saudi Arabia; Trump's flight was in the reverse direction.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
Gladiator II: Paul Mescal 'mesmerising' in 'relentlessly entertaining' sequel
The Week Recommends Ridley Scott's 'primary aim' is fun, in this 'exhilarating' blockbuster
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Bluesky: the social media platform causing a mass X-odus
The Explainer Social media platform is enjoying a new influx but can it usurp big rivals?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Justin Welby has stepped down as Archbishop of Canterbury
In the Spotlight 'Lack of curiosity' over claims of abuse of dozens of boys by Christian camp leader had made Welby's position untenable
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against Norway
Speed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
By The Week UK Published