Palestinians denied access to airport
Israeli reports ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit last week claimed Palestinians had been promised access to Ramon airport.
The leading Palestinian official in charge of relations with the Israelis said that press reports in Israel about an offer to allow Palestinians to use an Israeli airport are untrue.
Hussein Sheikh, secretary of the PLO’s Executive Committee and head of the Civil Affairs Ministry, said that no one made the offer. Israel’s Makan Public Service radio claimed that Defense Minister Benny Gantz had offered to allow Palestinians to use Ramon airport near Eilat on the condition that Palestinians withdraw their charge of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. In an answer to a question by Al-Monitor about the offer that Gantz reportedly made, Sheikh gave a short but clear answer: “Not true. Nothing was offered.”
