Israeli media has revealed in numerical data that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the preferred international travel destination for Israelis, benefiting from the growing alliance between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and the Emirati authorities’ protection from any international legal pursuits.
According to the Israeli news website “Mako,” affiliated with Channel 12, Dubai has emerged as the most popular destination for Israelis during the winter season, accounting for more than 10% of all outbound flights from Ben Gurion Airport last month.
Athens, Rome, Budapest, and New York followed in the ranking. At the same time, attention is now turning towards the upcoming Passover holiday, where airports are expected to witness long queues due to increased travel activity.
Growing Air Traffic and Israeli Travel Trends
Statistics indicate that Ben Gurion Airport received approximately 34,900 passengers on Tuesday alone, across 228 international flights, including arrivals and departures. Around 17,200 passengers departed on international flights, while approximately 17,700 travelers entered the occupied territories.
This figure is relatively lower than previous days, where the number of daily passengers exceeded 40,000. In recent weeks, several international airlines have resumed operations in the occupied territories, with expectations of increased activity at Ben Gurion Airport as the Passover holiday approaches, causing further congestion at airports.
Israeli Airports Authority data from January reveals that approximately 116,000 Israelis traveled to the UAE, making up over 10% of the total international departures from Ben Gurion Airport.
The report, however, did not specify the number of Israelis who stayed in Dubai versus those who used it as a transit point to other destinations.
UAE’s Growing Role in Facilitating Israeli Travel
Following Dubai, the top destinations preferred by Israelis included Athens, Paris, Larnaca, and Budapest. New York ranked ninth, witnessing a 17% decline compared to January of the previous year, making it the only destination among the top fifteen to record a drop in passenger numbers.
The UAE has become a prime destination for Israelis, including occupation army soldiers, as Emirati authorities continue to welcome them despite the atrocities committed in Gaza and Lebanon.
According to the New York Times, the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi remains the only fully operational Israeli diplomatic mission in the Arab world since the onset of the genocide in Gaza.
Media reports indicate that the UAE has maintained an air bridge with the occupation during the military operations in Gaza. The low-cost Emirati airline “FlyDubai” was operating eight daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv in both directions.
Additionally, “Emirates Airlines” announced the expansion of its daily flight schedule between Dubai and Tel Aviv, adding an extra daily flight starting at the end of October last year.
Channel 12 further reported that a significant number of Israelis favor traveling to the UAE, citing a “non-hostile stance and a sense of safety.” The channel quoted a tourism company executive, Oren Cohen, stating: “Dubai and Abu Dhabi warmly welcome Israeli tourists and are considered exceptionally safe.”
