Israel calls US ban on flights to Tel Aviv a 'prize' for terrorists
US and European airlines cancel flights to Tel Aviv after rocket lands one mile from Ben Gurion airport

Israel has urged US aviation authorities to lift a ban on flights to Tel Aviv, warning that travel cancellations would "hand terror a prize''.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instructed US carriers to suspend flights to Tel Aviv for 24 hours after a rocket landed one mile from Israel's Ben Gurion airport.
A number of European airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa and KLM, have also cancelled flights, although British Airways and Israel's national carrier El Al have continued as normal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It comes as world leaders push for a ceasefire in the region, where more than 600 Palestinians and 30 Israelis have been killed in the past 14 days of fighting.
USA Today says the move also reflects the "growing anxiety" over global air travel following Thursday's downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
It is the first time in more than two decades that travel from the west has been so disrupted to Ben Gurion airport, the country's main international gateway, which handled 14 million visitors last year and is critical to Israel's economy.
The New York Times calls the FAA ban a "victory of sorts" for Hamas, which has been firing rockets across the border with the aim of disrupting life in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the US Secretary of State John Kerry to help restore commercial flights, but a White House official said: "We're not going to overrule the FAA. Period."
Netanyahu's Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said the ban would "hand terror a prize'' and insisted the airport was safe, with civilian flights protected by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system.
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last night that he was flying to Israel with El Al to "show solidarity with the Israeli people and to demonstrate that it is safe to fly in and out of Israel". He added: "The flight restrictions are a mistake that hands Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Kill the Boer: Elon Musk and the anti-apartheid song
Under the radar Billionaire reignites controversy by linking South African 'struggle song' to 'white genocide'
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Is Israel annexing Gaza?
Today's Big Question Israeli army prepares a major ground offensive and is said to have plans to 'fully occupy the territory'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza is running out of cash
Under The Radar Palestinians pay the price as black market springs up around banknotes and coins
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Israel detains director after West Bank settler clash
speed read The director of Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' was arrested and beaten
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Israel strikes Gaza, breaking ceasefire
Speed Read 326 Palestinians were killed in the first major attack since Netanyahu's government signed a ceasefire agreement with Hamas
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published