Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the Israeli authorities to open al-Quds Airport in Jerusalem to the Palestinians in direct rejection of the authority’s proposal to open the remote Ramon Airport.
Speaking at the weekly cabinet session on Monday in Ramallah, Shtayyeh said that the Israeli authorities are fully responsible for the restrictions and disruptions of Palestinians’ movement at the Karama crossing.
He demanded the opening al-Quds Airport in Qalandia and removing all obstacles to moving people and goods to and from Palestine.
Since the beginning of summer, Palestinians have been suffering from lengthy travel procedures and humiliation at the three crossings they must pass by when traveling. They usually wait for hours before being allowed to cross; some are even forced to sleep at the border or return later because of sudden closures.
Palestinians are forced to pass through the Karama crossing, stamp their passports and pay a tax before moving in buses to the Israeli Allenby Crossing to be subject to a second check and inspection, and then via buses to the King Hussein Bridge for a third check before entering Jordan. Those traveling outside Jordan will have to go to Queen Alia Airport.
The journey takes several hours, and they must pay for departure and entry taxes, travel allowance, and baggage transfer.
Israel proposed, in a move considered a goodwill gesture to the Palestinians, to open the remote Ramon Airport to the residents of the West Bank.
Tel Aviv began preparations to operate Ramon Airport, near Eilat, to launch the first flight to Istanbul next month.
Israeli media said Turkey’s Pegasus airline is preparing to operate direct flights. Pegasus operates direct flights to Turkey from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
Palestinians are banned from traveling from Ben Gurion Airport unless they obtain a special permit, which is a rare and complicated matter.
Transporting Palestinians to Ramon Airport will be done in a special framework, where passengers obtain permits and take a four-hour trip from Ramallah.
The Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies (MADAR) said Ramon Airport is about 18 kilometers north of Eilat and roughly 340 kilometers from Jerusalem. It was established in 2019 with over 14,000 dunams, which can be expanded, but it is a failed project.
In 2019, 348,000 passengers traveled from Ramon Airport 2019, dropping to 126,000 in 2020, and then 4800 international travelers in 2021.
In 2022, only 20 passengers flew from Ramon Airport on nine different flights.
Israelis are reluctant to use the very remote Ramon Airport because of the coronavirus pandemic, the high prices, and the distance.
However, Israel realizes it must save the airport, making it more likely to believe that allowing the Palestinians to travel from Ramon may provide an immediate rescue.
MADAR believes opening Ramon Airport to the Palestinians aims to reduce the conflict by maintaining and expanding the Israeli occupation and settlements. It also seeks to minimize contact between Palestinians and Israelis, offering economic and vital “incentives” such as allowing the Palestinians to use Israeli airports.
Palestinians reject Ramon Airport because it carries a political symbol.
Al-Quds Airport, also known as Qalandia Airport, was established in 1920 during the British Mandate and was used for military purposes. Jordan then turned it into a civilian airport before Israel occupied the area in 1967, and transformed it for tourism and commercial purposes, and then closed it.
The Palestinian Ministry of Transport spokesman, Musa Rahal, said that the Israeli plan is a “unilateral act” that is rejected by the ministry.
Rahal asserted that the position of Palestine is absolutely clear and that the signed agreements must be implemented before taking any other choice.
“Palestinians still have the occupied Qalandia and Lod airports, which must be handed over to the State of Palestine according to international agreements, to work on the travel of Palestinian citizens through [them], especially since they are located in 1967 borders,” he noted.
