European Nations: No El Al Cargo Planes Allowed

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Source: World Jewish News

European Nations: No El Al Cargo Planes Allowed

Three European nations have informed Israel’s national airline that El Al flights that carry heavy munitions cargo to Israel will no longer be allowed to stop for refueling at their airports.

All three nations -- Britain, Germany and Italy -- have diplomatic relations with Israel and have been heavily involved in the effort to expand the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeeping mission. Nonetheless, the same nations now refuse to allow Israel’s national carrier to make stopover landings for refueling when carrying heavy cargo from U.S. army bases.

“Cargo planes are taking off from the U.S. with much lighter weight, and are reaching Israel with significantly fewer munitions than needed," said Itai Regev, chairman of El Al’s pilots union.

In a letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and the Defense, Tourism and Finance Ministries, Regev complained that the new rules severely restrict arms deliveries to Israel from the U.S.

Regev also criticized Olmert’s decision to allow government employees to fly on Italy’s national carrier, Alitalia, rather than with El Al. Government workers have traditionally flown abroad solely with Israel’s national carrier, but that custom was recently ended by the Olmert administration due to budgetary reasons.

While Italy restricts the Jewish State’s right to receive military deliveries from an ally of both nations, "Israel's response to this is the transfer of labor to Italian pilots at the cost of Israeli pilots," wrote Regev. He added that although the European refusal to allow refueling stopovers falls within the political domain, it impacts on Israel’s security, striking “a substantial blow to state defense.”