Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahuspoke Monday afternoon with flight LY971 captain Tal Becker, upon the landing of the Israeli and American delegations in Abu Dhabi:
"Hello to you. I am now watching you with great excitement, the landing of an Israeli plane – in daylight – in Abu Dhabi. 'Shalom', 'Salaam' and 'Peace' are written on it; this is a start.
You are now about to open the door to a different kind of peace – peace with investments, peace with tourism, peace with very many fruits of peace that will be shared here with our two peoples, and with all the peoples of the region.
This is a gigantic and historic blessing. I have worked on it for very many years in the belief that peace for peace would bring about a great turning point here, and that the Arab peoples are capable of accepting the State of Israel as an existing fact and as a major partner.
In effect, you are starting to put this into practice today, the practical translation of this peace.
I congratulate you and I say to all those who stand on the other side of the door that is about to open salaam aleikum, wahlan v'sahlan.
This is a historic day. You have no idea how excited the citizens of Israel, myself included, are over this day. We dreamed about it and worked for it and here it is happening before our eyes. Be blessed and do great things!
Greetings also to our American friends who have helped so much on this historic and important occasion."