Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday he will be flying to Tel Aviv to protest the recent flight restrictions and show it's safe to fly in and out of Israel.
"The flight restrictions are a mistake that hands Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately. I strongly urge the FAA to reverse course and permit US airlines to fly to Israel," Bloomberg wrote in a statement.
This evening I will be flying on El Al to Tel Aviv to demonstrate that it is safe to fly in and out of Israel http://t.co/PidYBeCk9U— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) July 23, 2014
The Federal Aviation Administration banned U.S. carriers from flying to or from the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Tuesday. The ban came after a rocket fired from Gaza exploded near the airport on that day, prompting several U.S. airlines, including Delta, US Airways and United, to cancel their flights to Israel.
Bloomberg, who was mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, is also the founder and a majority owner of the finance and media company Bloomberg L.P. His statement was met with mixed sentiments on Twitter, with some thanking him and others pointing out that it is a dangerous and biased move.
@MikeBloomberg why politicize the governmental body responsible for making apolitical decisions on passenger safety?— Another Libyan (@soug_aljumah) July 23, 2014
@MikeBloomberg @Daroff thank you @MikeBloomberg for showing solidarity by going to Israel!— Joshua Odintz (@truthiness7) July 23, 2014
@MikeBloomberg your judgement is clouded by your Israeli bias. After MH17 civ flights should not happen through war zones.— Bryan Simpson (@BrySimpson) July 23, 2014