Posted on 07/23/2014 9:05:24 PM PDT by kristinn
Press Release – FAA Statement–FAA Lifts Flight Restrictions for Ben Gurion International Airport
The FAA has lifted its restrictions on U.S. airline flights into and out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport by cancelling a Notice to Airmen it renewed earlier today. The cancellation is effective at approximately 11:45 p.m. EDT.
Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the Government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation.
The FAA’s primary mission and interest are the protection of people traveling on U.S. airlines. The agency will continue to closely monitor the very fluid situation around Ben Gurion Airport and will take additional actions, as necessary.
The FAA initially instituted the flight prohibition on Tuesday, July 22, in response to a rocket strike that landed approximately one mile from the airport.
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who forced them?
I heard on the John Bachelor show tonight that British Airways never stopped flying to BG.
A handful of airlines in the world didn’t and that was one of them.
Nobody forced them, a Senator just said he wanted answers to some questions. That is entirely appropriate.
I must admit when they first halted flights I thought it was the right decision(Especially after a rocket hit a house within 1 mile of the airport) but after hearing stories about this was all Obama’s way to boycott Israel and put pressure on them to stop bombing Hamas, it made sense..NOTHING Obama does is for the good of the country, there is always some sinister motive behind it..Considering that the US doesn’t halt flights to Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, or even Ukraine their whole rational made no sense
You are correct..and El Al of course, which is controlled by the Israeli Govt, never stopped flying
Add the FAA to the list of government agencies I now no longer trust...
That Erin girl on CNN was reporting earlier that airlines can and may decide on their own to avoid landing at Ben Gurion should the no fly order be lifted.
Pressure can quietly be applied, separate from a government agency like FAA, to private airlines now?
Cruz smartly and expeditiously knows exactly which screws to turn and on the public relations front, Bloomberg lent no help to Barrackus either.
I suspect that this ban was lifted due to pressure from Ted Cruz and other Republicans who have exposed the Obama support of Hamas.
I don’t know if anyone has posted this article from National Review, but it is excellent. You should also read the Mukasey article from the WSJ that is mentioned. McCarthy brings together so many facts regarding Obama’s support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood that when I put it together with what I knew already, I don’t know if I will sleep tonight.
Bkmk for morning reading
Michael Bloomberg was greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, as Bloomberg deplaned. Earlier today I transcribed some of their remarks to each other upon Bloomberg's arrival aboard an El Al jet at Ben Gurion Airport.
Bibi & Bloomberg at Ben Gurion Airport 7/23/14 (Video with partial transcript)
This is a good video, only 2 minutes and 45 seconds long and in the last part, around 45 seconds long, Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu speaks in Hebrew.
Note: I added bold highlights to denote words heard emphasized in the spoken discussion between Bloomberg and Netanyahu.
Michael Bloomberg is shown de-planing from El Al Airlines. Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu greets Bloomberg warmly, both men shake hands, then hug after Bloomberg has descended to the bottom of the plane's steps.
Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu formally and warmly welcomes Michael Bloomberg to Israel.
After welcoming Bloomberg as "a true leader, a true friend..."
Bibi continues: "... And the truth is, which you wanted to demonstrate by coming here, is that this airport is open and you can fly in and out of Israel. We protect this airport..."
Bibi says: "...There is no reason whatsoever for the mistaken F.A.A. decision to instruct American planes not to come here."
Bibi says: "...Where I stand, the Prime Minister of Israel, where you stand, anybody can stand. I think this decision only rewards the Hamas terrorists for nothing!"
Bibi says: "...You can fly in and out of Israel. And I hope that the F.A.A. rescinds this decision as soon as possible."
Michael Bloomberg says: "...Every time I come here I am reminded of history, of where my family comes from, of freedom and democracy. This is the only Democratic country in this part of the world... a true Democracy where everybody has a chance to express themselves and practice the religions that they want to practice in the ways they want to..."
Michael Bloomberg says: "...I would argue Ben Gurion Airport is probably the safest airport in the whole world to fly in and out of. This is a country that's been threatened since its existence back in 1948 when the United Nations created this country as a Homeland for the Jews. And Israelis know what it is to keep people safe."
Kerry: Well Mr. President I'll get the boys at State to think of another way to punish Netanyahu.
Obama: Great John. Remember I promised Hayniyeh (HAMAS leader in Gaza) that we would protect the lives if his terrorists, oops, I mean innocent civilians.
Kerry: Well, Mr. President we can't just let Israel over protect themselves from HAMAS’s goals.
Obama: You men Justice for Palestine?
Kerry: No Sir, I mean we can't let our most reliable and stable ally win, it goes against...
Obama: Against my agenda, that's right John, it goes against my plan for destroying Israel and America.
Kerry: Mr. President you are great.
Obama: I know, John, I know...
“Private” airlines that are wholly reliant on the government for their ability to function and know the government can find some small thing somewhere to harm them.
The difference maybe being they weren’t completely partisan before?
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