On Jerusalem's 50 Anniversary of Reunification - Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu greets US President Donald J.Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport

May 22, 2017
Monday, 5:65 am EDT (12:56 pm Tel Aviv)

On Jerusalem's 50 Anniversary of reunification - Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu greets US President Donald J.Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport

WATCH HERE

Video snapshot photos from CNN

Earlier events:

Ted Cruz Is Refusing To Let Obama Go Unpunished For His Admin’s Latest Cheap Shot On Israel

First, he wants to know who made the decision...

---

B. CHRISTOPHER AGEE — JULY 24, 2014  WJ WESTERN JOURNALISM

Though the Federal Aviation Administration ultimately lifted its ban on flights to and from Israel, the reaction to increased violence in the region nonetheless resulted in widespread backlash in that country and in the U.S.

The prohibition was initially put in place Tuesday and lasted for a total of about 36 hours.

Sen. Ted Cruz took a firm stance against the ban by putting action behind his words of disapproval.

In a press release published Wednesday, he explained that he would “hold all State Department nominees until the Obama Administration answers questions about its unprecedented decision to cancel flights to Israel, while at the same time announcing continuing aid that will be funneled to the terrorist organization, Hamas.”

Hamas-sponsored terrorists are responsible for firing countless missiles into Israel over the past several weeks. The organization has also been attacked for its alleged use of human shields in the face of oncoming rockets, which has potentially increased Palestinian deaths along the Gaza Strip.

Cruz had five specific questions for the administration to answer before he again addresses potential appointees.

First, he wants to know who made the decision and whether it was a partisan statement by the Obama administration. He also asked why, if the FAA was ostensibly concerned about safety, other hotbeds of violence – such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen – were not included in the ban.

With a commercial flight recently shot down over Ukraine, Cruz also wants answers regarding the process behind singling out Israel in the decision.

He asked whether the FAA communicated with the White House in considering the ban and, if so, why such contact was needed for a safety decision the department otherwise could have made on its own.

Finally, he said he wants to know whether this was truly based on a safety concern or whether it was a retaliatory measure meant to compel Israel to comply with Secretary of State John Kerry’s “demand that Israel stop their military effort to take out Hamas’s rocket capacity.”

A State Department source dismissed Cruz’s questions as “offensive and ridiculous,” prompting the conservative senator to defend his inquiry.

“Serious questions were asked about the nature of a decision that handed Hamas a public relations victory and will cost Israel billions of dollars,” he asserted. “The only thing offensive about this situation is how the Obama Administration is spurning our allies to embolden our enemies. The only thing ridiculous is the administration’s response to basic questions.”

Photo credit: Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

Read more at http://www.westernjournalism.com/heres-ted-cruz-vowed-response-israel-flight-ban/#FSrIwwUUhohEglBb.99

FAA bans U.S. airlines from Israel over rocket threat - USA TODAY

FAA bans U.S. airlines from Israel over rocket threat

Bart Jansen, USA TODAYJuly 22, 2014

(Photo: Reed Saxon, AP)

Delta Air Lines, United and US Airways each canceled flights Tuesday to Israel because of safety and security concerns, after a rocket attack near Tel Aviv's airport.

At 12:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. airlines from flying to Ben Gurion International Airport for 24 hours, after a rocket landed about 1 mile from the airport.

"The FAA will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation," FAA said in a statement. "Updated instructions will be provided to U.S. airlines as soon as conditions permit, but no later than 24 hours" from the last order.

Delta Flight 468, a Boeing 747 with 273 passengers and 17 crew members, diverted to Paris on Tuesday after reports of a rocket near Tel Aviv. The airline, which typically flies between New York's JFK airport and Ben Gurion, suspended service indefinitely.

United Airlines canceled flights 84 and 90 from Newark to Tel Aviv.

"We are suspending operations to/from Tel Aviv until further notice," United spokeswoman Jennifer Dohm said. "We are working with government officials to ensure the safety of our customers and our employees and will continue to evaluate the situation."

US Airways also canceled a flight to Israel Tuesday. Flight 796, which began in Los Angeles, was canceled in Philadelphia before leaving for Tel Aviv.

The airlines said they are working with FAA and other government agencies to monitor the situation.

The State Department has been warning to defer non-essential travel to Israel since Feb. 3 because of hostilities with the West Bank and Gaza.

Long-range rockets launched from Gaza since July 8, 2014 have reached many locations in Israel, including Tel Aviv. While many rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, there have been impacts that have caused damage and injury.

Israeli Defense Forces said in its Twitter feed that Iron Dome had intercepted one rocket above Tel Aviv while a second rocket fell in the town of Yehud, about a mile and a half from the airport.