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Netanyahu leaks about KSA visit problematic: Israeli reporter

By Al Mayadeen Engish
Source: Israeli Media
29 Oct 2022 19:05
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Israeli media reveals that Saudi Arabia prevented Israeli aircraft from flying over its lands in 2020 due to Netanyahu's leaks about his visit to the country.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Saudi Arabia accused former Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leaking news of his visit to the KSA in 2020, which led to a "dramatic reduction in contacts," Israeli correspondent Barak Ravid said Saturday on Twitter.

In his tweet, Ravid added that Netanyahu's leaks prompted KSA "not to implement their promise to allow Israeli companies to fly in their airspace to India and China."

"During the Lapid period, the Saudis gave their consent to this again," he highlighted.

הודעה ממחלקת העובדות: הסעודים האשימו את נתניהו בהדלפת ביקורו שם בנובמבר 2020. בעקבות כך היה נתק של חצי שנה עם הסעודים וצמצום דרמטי של המגעים. הסעודים החליטו אז לא ליישם את הבטחתם לאפשר לחברות ישראליות לטוס במרחב האווירי שלהם להודו וסין. בתקופת לפיד הסעודים נתנו הסכמתם לכך מחדש
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 28, 2022

Earlier in July, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced that KSA was opening its airspace for all civil air carriers for overflying.

"The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the Authority for overflying," GACA said in a statement on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/jaT4PpXxCa
— هيئة الطيران المدني (@ksagaca) July 14, 2022

The Kingdom’s history with "Israel" extends far before 2015, when Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of the Saudi General Intelligence Directory, took part in a high-profile panel with the former Israeli Commander of the IOF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, hosted by the General Marshall Fund think tank. Some, like Alexander Bligh, the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Science, found that the relationship between the two dates back to 1962.