Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg had a sitdown with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday after thumbing his nose at warnings that it was too dangerous to fly into Israel.
Bloomberg arrived from JFK on an El Al jetliner at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, where Netanyahu gave him a warm personal welcome.
“I flew here to show solidarity with the Israeli people, who have come under attack from Hamas, and to show that it’s safe to fly in and out of Israel,” Bloomberg said, citing Israel’s support of New York City after the 9/11 terror attacks.
“They know what it’s like to be attacked by terrorists, and they know that one of the best things you can do to defeat the terrorists is to refuse to stop living your life,” he said.
The FAA has banned US commercial carriers from flying to and from Israel, but the restriction does not apply to El Al, Israel’s national airline.
“Halting flights here — when the airport is safe — hurts Israel and rewards Hamas for attacking Israel,” Bloomberg said. “Hamas wants to shut down the airport; we can’t let that happen.”