For the first time, Israel has allowed Palestinian residents of the West Bank to fly out of Israel.
The goodwill gesture followed pressure from Washington on Israel to ease travel restrictions on Palestinians in the absence of peace talks between the sides.
Until now, West Bank Palestinians wishing to fly from Israeli airports had to apply for special permission from the Israeli authorities. The vast majority have had to cross the border into Jordan and fly from Amman airport, wasting hours in each direction and paying a border tax.
Under the pilot scheme that started on Monday, some 40 Palestinians from the areas of Hebron and Bethlehem flew to Larnaca in Cyprus from the Ramon airport in southern Israel, north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat – about a three-hour drive.
Oz Berlowitz, chief executive of Arkia, the airline company that operates the route, welcomed the inaugural flight.
Ramon airport
“Until today, flights for Palestinians in a unique framework, and in particular from Ramon airport, were just a dream. And indeed the dream has been fulfilled.”
All the passengers had to pass through a checkpoint near Hebron where they were questioned by Israeli security agents, but Israeli officials claimed this was similar to regular questioning for people flying from Israeli airports.
The Palestinian passengers were then transported to Ramon airport on a chartered bus and joined the other passengers to board the flight to Cyprus.
The Palestinian transport ministry called on the residents of the West Bank not to travel overseas on direct flights from Ramon airport, saying that doing so serves Israeli interests and undermines Palestinian sovereignty.
“Israel failed to turn Ramon airport into an international terminal,” a Palestinian official said. “Now, the Israelis are offering us something that didn’t work for them. This reminds me of the coronavirus vaccines, which Israel offered us because the expiration dates were nearing.”
Possible extension
Palestinian activists also argued that the new arrangement undermines the Palestinian demands for their own airport, free of Israeli supervision.
Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh urged Israel to open Qalandia airport north of Jerusalem for Palestinians.
The international airport operated in the West Bank during the British mandate and under Jordanian rule but was occupied by Israel in 1967 and closed to civilian traffic in 2000.
If everything runs smoothly, the pilot scheme will be expanded to include two weekly flights to Istanbul and Antalya (the two destinations most visited by Palestinians), Cyprus, the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and Dubai.
It is still not clear if the scheme will be extended to residents of the Gaza Strip but Arkia said they have already received inquiries from Palestinians living there.
