PM says Biden's direct flight from Israel to Saudi Arabia 'will carry with it a message of peace and hope from us'; US president says his trip is 'steps toward normalization'

In WaPo article, US leader says he'll be first American president to fly directly between countries during official trip to region

Sheikh Mohammed al-Issa speaks of Muslim obligation to bring hearts together; Israeli commentator says Saudis' choice of 'Zionist imam' is 'significant signal'

Kingdom currently allows pilgrims from Israel but requires them to travel through a third country; direct flights from Tel Aviv would cut costs by half, says Minister Esawi Frej

Mideast diplomat says unclear whether deal will be done in time for Biden visit, as Jerusalem and Riyadh don't have formal ties, and latter hesitant to put agreement in writing

Senior official takes issue with US-drawn 'symmetry' between 'thorough' Israeli probe and PA's lackluster one; says progress on boosting Israeli-Saudi ties would be 'game-changer'

At a Jerusalem forum following her landmark trip to Saudi Arabia, Lipstadt says changes are afoot in the region; ADL CEO Greenblatt reports record numbers of incidents stateside

Channel 13's Alon Ben David says some locals turned a cold shoulder, others invited him for coffee; normalization will take time

Request said to be part of move toward regional cooperation against Iranian threats, with Israel part of an alliance that includes countries it has no official ties with

In recent months, Saudis have taken to social media -- which is tightly controlled in the kingdom -- to express their support for peace