This week, Tel Aviv hosted the 8th annual Business Aviation Conference. JSSI, the company I lead, is a proud partner and sponsor of this important event, as it has been from the very beginning – ten years ago. We do so because we believe in the Israeli market and Israel’s potential, especially during these stormy days in Israeli society and politics.
In September 2020, the Abraham Accords were signed on the White House lawn. These agreements, mediated and backed by the United States, opened the door to direct relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later adding Morocco and Sudan. For years, business and other ties between the countries were conducted “under the radar.”
With the accords, these relations came to light and began to blossom in many areas, among them tourism, science, medicine, education, and of course, business. When Saudi Arabia, and now Oman, announced the opening of their airspace to Israeli planes, one could feel the effect of the accords in one’s pocket. I have witnessed this change firsthand, as private and commercial flights between Israel and countries in the region have increased significantly and become daily events.
As the leader of a business with customers, suppliers, and employees in Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, The Abraham Accords have provided us with a rare gift: the opportunity to deepen the ties between people and connect countries – literally – given the field we are engaged in: business aviation. Business aviation is an essential and efficient growth engine for commerce, providing critical advantages around time-saving, privacy, and security.
Aviation
Considering the sensitive nature of the relations between Israel and its neighbors, these advantages take on new importance. Aviation is the bridge for developing business relationships, which leads to personal relationships and a future with a deeper understanding of one another. Just as Israel is an essential landmark in the journey of migratory birds, we make it a significant business meeting point in the field of aviation.
THIS IS why I and all of us at JSSI are so proud to collaborate again with our partners at the Israeli company JetSetter, in making this conference a reality. Over the years, it gained momentum and received resonance as a significant event in the business aviation field, attracting speakers, representatives, suppliers, and participants from all over the world.
This year, it includes many of our friends from the Middle East. Together, we join hands, break bread and explore business opportunities. Unlike politicians and too many in the media – we choose to focus on what we have in common: the desire to broaden our horizons and explore mutually beneficial opportunities with our neighbors.
For over thirty years, JSSI has provided maintenance support and financial services to the business aviation industry, including thousands of business jets worldwide. This is how I met my friend and business partner, Gal Peleg, founder of JetSetter. Gal is an Israeli fighter pilot, a lawyer specializing in aviation, and a person with a vision and a desire to harness his abilities for the community.
Together we built an infrastructure of a partnership that considers success not just in terms of profits, but also in terms of the greater good. Together, we use the tools at our disposal – actual tools – the jets on display for the duration of the conference at Ben-Gurion Airport, around which people from different countries and nationalities gathered. Together they allow humanity to move forward and reach the desired destination.
As always, the future is not guaranteed and is rarely clear. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that one of his goals in forming the new government was to promote the Abraham Accords. On the one hand, it was just announced that Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish ties. On the other, past statements by senior officials in the Saudi government, who see an opportunity in forming relations with Israel, offer hope. I wholeheartedly believe that the economic successes of the Abraham Accords will lead to broader relations between Israel and the other countries in the region.
Through this once-small aviation conference in Tel Aviv, a fresh route is being charted to build new relationships, flying on the wings of peace. I know I will do my best to make this vision a reality.
The writer is the president and CEO of JSSI, Jet Support Services, Inc., which provides support services for business aviation worldwide.