(Bloomberg) Michael R. Bloomberg - Just hours after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibited domestic airlines from flying to Israel this week, I boarded an El Al flight to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to express solidarity with the Israeli people and show the world that Israel's airports remain open and safe. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived at Ben-Gurion just before I did. As a pilot, I've always had enormous respect for the outstanding job that the FAA's dedicated professionals do each day. But on this issue, the agency failed to consider the full implications of its action. It was a well-intentioned but poorly thought-out decision. Ben-Gurion is the best protected airport in the world, and Israel would not keep Ben-Gurion open if it were not secure. By prohibiting U.S. carriers from flying into Ben-Gurion, the FAA handed Hamas a significant victory - one that the group will undoubtedly attempt to repeat. The FAA has, regrettably, succeeded only in emboldening Hamas. Israel was entirely justified in crossing into Gaza to destroy the tunnels and rockets that threaten its sovereignty. I know what I would want my government to do if the U.S. was attacked by a rocket from above or via a tunnel from below. The writer is a former mayor of New York City.
2014-07-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive