Tel Aviv Flights Ban Stings An Embattled Ally
Updated: 10:19pm UK, Wednesday 23 July 2014
By Hannah Thomas-Peter, New York Correspondent
News that the Federal Aviation Administration has extended a ban on US flights into and out of Tel Aviv will be met with Israeli dismay.
It may well also make US Secretary of State John Kerry's job even more difficult as he visits the region for crucial talks aimed at ending this wave of violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already issued a direct appeal to the US to reinstate commercial flights.
His officials argued that Ben Gurion Airport is the best protected in the world and the decision hands a victory to Hamas.
His request and the ban that continues to defy it is important in more ways than one.
It matters because Israel wants its close US ally to back it up, to send a message about resilience in the face of fear and terror.
But prohibiting flights from landing in Tel Aviv broadcasts to the world the FAA's assessment - Israel isn't safe enough for our planes.
The move strikes at the heart of a crucial issue for Israel - its ability to defend itself against enemies near and far.
It has prompted questions in US press briefings about the ban, and a State Department travel warning issued at the beginning of the week.
Spokesperson Marie Harf was asked this question on Tuesday: "There is suspicion in Israel and among pro-Israel types in the US that last night's Travel Warning that the State Department issued for Israel, West Bank and Gaza, along with the move by the FAA today to ban US airlines from flying to Tel Aviv for up to 24 hours, is somehow a political move intended to put pressure on the Israelis, on Prime Minister Netanyahu's government to agree to a ceasefire that they might not want to.
"Is there any truth to that? Was the State Department involved in this FAA decision at all that you're aware of?
Ms Harf replied: "We issue travel warnings because one of our top priorities is protecting US citizens overseas.
"So this is a step we have taken when we felt the situation on the ground warranted it.
"Obviously, that is a process that we go through that in no way is policy-related or politically related. It is just related to how we can best protect American citizens.
"On the FAA, we, to my knowledge, were not involved in that decision making."
Following the extension of the ban, Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz released a statement that read: "President Obama has just used a federal regulatory agency to launch an economic boycott on Israel, in order to try to force our ally to comply with his foreign-policy demands."
Ms Harf called his comments "ridiculous and offensive".
The fact that questions are being asked will worry the White House as John Kerry tries to make some headway on the ground.
Above all, the US government supports Israel's right and need to defend itself from rocket attacks.
But there is growing alarm at the number of Palestinian civilian deaths at the hands of Israel's powerful military, and an acknowledgement of the pressing need for a ceasefire.
It is already a relatively precarious position, even for an experienced statesman.
Anything that diminishes the diplomat's ability to influence Israel's approach to this escalating crisis will nott be welcome at all.
Public questions over politically motivated travel warnings and flight bans do just that, even if there is any truth behind what they imply.
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