UAE Suspends Tunisian Pilot for Refusing to Fly to Tel Aviv

The Dubai-based Emirates airline has suspended a Tunisian pilot who refused to fly a plane to Tel Aviv.

In a post on "Facebook", the pilot said that Emirates Airline suspended him “due to my refusal to participate in a flight to Tel Aviv.”

"God is the only one who takes care of me, I do not regret it," he added.

On October 20, both Israel and the UAE agreed to exempt their citizens from travel visas, making the UAE the first Arab country to exclude its citizens from this procedure to enter the Hebrew state.

This came during a visit paid by the first official Emirati delegation to Tel Aviv, about a week ago after the signing of an agreement to establish relations at the White House under the patronage and presence of US President Donald Trump.

The UAE is the first Gulf state and the third Arab country to sign an agreement to normalize relations with the Hebrew state, while Bahrain is the fourth, after Jordan (1994) and Egypt (1979).