Israelis to flock to Qatar for WC

ISRAEL has reached an agreement with FIFA and Qatar to allow direct charter flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Qatar for the World Cup, which begins on November 20. Qatar and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, necessitating the agreement announced last week. “With this deal, Israelis and Palestinians will be able to fly together, and enjoy the soccer together,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. Last Sunday, Cypriot airline Tus Airways received permission from Doha to operate flights between Israel and Qatar during the World Cup, via a ‘diplomatic stopover’ in Larnaca. Despite its national team not qualifying for the World Cup, almost 30,000 Israelis are predicted to travel to Qatar to attend World Cup matches, and will mostly fly to and from there via a second country.

Credit AJN