Israel hails ‘successes’ during Biden’s visit

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Friday hailed “successes” made during US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region.

Biden's visit "has attained successes to be discussed years from now," Lapid said, without providing further details.

Biden left Israel earlier Friday en route to Saudi Arabia, the last stop in his first trip to the Middle East since he became president last year.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia said it would open its airspace to all carriers, in a move paving the way for allowing Israeli flights over the kingdom.

Lapid hailed the Saudi decision, terming it “the first official step” towards normalization with the kingdom.

"This will save fuel, time, and money, which will benefit the citizens of Israel directly as it will reduce the prices of airline tickets,” he said.

"We will continue working on such issues for the sake of the Israeli economy, Israeli security, and Israeli citizens,” Lapid added.

The Israeli premier said the Saudi decision “was preceded by the declaration of Jerusalem and the establishment of the American commitment to Israel's security towards combating the Iranian nuclear program, to deepening normalization, and the processes accompanying the Abraham Agreements and the Negev Summit."

In 2020, Israel signed US-sponsored agreements to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, in a move decried by Palestinians as a “betrayal of their cause.”

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report.