On Sunday, EgyptAir officially launched its flight service to Israel for the first time, with the inaugural flight set to arrive in Tel Aviv at noon today. Sources within Egypt's national carrier indicated in September that EgyptAir would start operating several weekly flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv beginning in October. This announcement coincided with the first official visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to Egypt in ten years.
The last official visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to Egypt was that of Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011 in Sharm El-Sheikh, just prior to the uprising that led to Mubarak's removal from power. Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979; however, relations have remained cool and limited to security cooperation and modest economic ties.
In September, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, where both sides discussed Israeli-Palestinian relations and bilateral issues. Bennett, who leads a right-wing party and took office in June, received an invitation from Sisi in August. Since May, Egypt has played a prominent role in mediating and attempting to implement a ceasefire in Gaza following an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas, which controls the territory.
Bennett's visit appeared to provide a boost to transportation links between the two countries. According to Reuters, the discussions held in Sharm El-Sheikh included diplomacy, security, and economic cooperation. Before boarding his return flight, Bennett stated, "We have laid the foundations for deep connections moving forward." Concurrently, Israel's Ministry of Transport announced that the Taba border crossing between Israel and Sinai, a point of entry for Israeli tourists, has fully resumed operations following the lifting of restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
