Surprise encounter: Israeli tourists' emergency landing in Saudi Arabia sparks diplomatic speculation

An online video captures two tourists expressing their confusion while recounting their unexpected landing in Saudi Arabia. 

The two Israeli girls found themselves in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, specifically at Jeddah's airport.

How did they manage to reach a country that has not normalized ties with Israel?

The incident unfolded when a flight carrying 126 Israeli passengers encountered technical difficulties en route from Seychelles to Israel. 

As a result, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Jeddah International Airport on the Red Sea coast on Monday. 

Subsequently, a charter flight was arranged on Tuesday to transport them back to Israel.

Saudi Arabia's decision to allow the plane to land on its territory was seized upon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed his gratitude and praised the kingdom for its neighborly gesture.

Netanyahu stated, "I greatly appreciate the warm treatment shown by the Saudi authorities towards the Israeli passengers, whose journey was disrupted and were forced to make an emergency landing in Jeddah. I am glad they will all return home safely, and I value good neighborliness."

While it is true that Saudi Arabia has allowed Israeli flights to use its airspace since 2022, the kingdom has not joined the "Abraham Accords" established in 2020 through US mediation. These agreements led to formal diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv and several Arab states, notably the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The incident of the emergency landing occurred at a time when Washington was putting in substantial efforts to continue the normalization process with new Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia at the forefront.

Will Israel leverage Saudi Arabia's seemingly warm treatment, as described by Netanyahu, to foster closer relations with the kingdom?