The FAA has banned U.S. carriers from flying to Israel until further notice due to a Hamas rocket hitting a house a mile away from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport.
The FAA advisory reads:
The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning ... [and] applies only to U.S. operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport
The EU was quick to follow along with The European Aviation Safety Agency telling France's AFP it would issue a "strong recommendation to avoid until further notice Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport."
This not only affects Israel economically (this is the height of the tourist season in Israel), but increases Israel's sense of isolation during wartime, and that is deliberate.
Both the Obama Administration and the EU want to stop Israel's offensive in Gaza and preserve Hamas' Islamist reichlet. This is their way of increasing pressure on Israel to leave Hamas in place.
Just imagine what would happen if President Obama made a clear statement slamming Hamas for the war crime of targeting a civilian airport and threatened to cut off all funding for Hamas/Fatah unless the rocket fire at Israel's civilians stopped immediately? But not this president.
As Israeli Transport Minister Yisrael Katz said, this was a ridiculous overreaction. "There is no reason for these companies to stop flights. They have given a prize to terror."
After all, Malaysia Airline Flight 17, was traveling through an area with no international restrictions
when it was shot down over the Ukraine, where an armed conflict was known to exist.
I advise anyone traveling to Israel to take El Al.
On the plus side,this provides an incentive for Israel to step up its offensive and take out Hamas once and for all. And it also shows why 'Palestine' in Judea and Samaria shouldn't be based on the pre '67 lines, if it exists at all.
As an aside, President Obama has already pledged $47 million of your tax dollars to Hamas/Fatah for 'rebuilding' in Gaza, plus an additional $15 million to UNRWA ...and not a dime to Israel for its own rebuilding. Since he has to be aware that the money he gave Hamas for 'rebuilding Gaza' and 'humanitarian aid' went to building Hamas' terrorist infrastructure and the tunnels the Israelis are now fighting to destroy, there's no mistaking where his sympathies lie.
if el al planes weren't full before, they will be now.
ReplyDeletei think it was telling how sec. of state heinz-kerry flew to egypt.
knowing the US has so much pull with the egyptians.
will it be interesting, when, the dust settles from this, all of those arrival slots are suddenly cut by 30% - 40%, making way for other carriers like quantas, or korean air?
ReplyDeletegoebbels is smiling.
Air Canada flies to Israel too. They're not stopping their flights either.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, this is a great excuse for stepping up their offensive on Gaza, and maybe being a just little more concerned about speed and IDF casualties and just a bit less concerned about Hamas' human shields.