The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday lifted the restriction it placed on U.S. flights in and out of Israel. The FAA instituted a temporary prohibition Tuesday after a Hamas rocket fired at central Israel landed about a mile from the airport. "The FAA has lifted its restrictions on U.S. airline flights into and out of Israel's Ben-Gurion airport by canceling a Notice to Airmen it renewed earlier today. The cancellation is effective at approximately 11:45 p.m. EDT," the agency said in a statement. "Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation. "The FAA's primary mission and interest are the protection of people traveling on U.S. airlines. The agency will continue to closely monitor the very fluid situation around Ben-Gurion airport and will take additional actions, as necessary," the statement said. The FAA's flight ban, which was in effect for 36 hours, was criticized by the Israeli government and by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who questioned whether President Barack Obama used a federal agency to impose an economic boycott on Israel. While the restriction was in place, Israeli airport and tourism officials insisted that planes flying over Israel were in no danger. British Airways and Israel's national air carrier El Al were among the airlines that did not halt their flights to and from Ben-Gurion. Thumbing his nose at the FAA warning, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg boarded an El Al jetliner at John F. Kennedy International Airport and flew to Ben-Gurion, where he had a short meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "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. " Netanyahu, while en route from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv where he was due to meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, stopped at Ben-Gurion airport to welcome Bloomberg. "Michael, you are a welcomed guest on any day, but especially on this day, to come here as a true leader, a true friend and as a man of standing and truth," Netanyahu said. "The truth is, that you wanted to demonstrate by coming here, is that this airport is open. You can fly in and out of Israel. We protect this airport. There's no reason whatsoever for the mistaken FAA decision to instruct American planes not to come here. I think you're proving it by coming here. Where I stand, the Prime Minister of Israel, where you stand, anybody can stand. I think this decision only rewards the Hamas terrorists for nothing. You can fly in and out of Israel and I hope that the FAA rescinds this decision as soon as possible." Bloomberg responded, "Thank you. Let me just say that every time I come here, I'm reminded of history, of where my family comes from, of freedom and democracy. This is the only democratic country in this part of the world, a true democracy where everybody has a chance to express themselves and practice the religions that they want to practice in the ways they want to. In terms of coming here, if -- I would argue that Ben-Gurion airport is probably the safest airport in the whole world to fly in and out of. This is a country that's been threatened since its existence back in 1948, when the United Nations created this country as a homeland for the Jews. And Israelis know what it is to keep people safe and in terms of that also." Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz leveled harsh criticism as the FAA over the restriction, saying, "Ben-Gurion airport is perfectly safe. If anyone is under the impression that disrupting Ben-Gurion would make us halt the operation in Gaza before it's done, they are wrong. The American airlines should be the first ones to resume flights to Israel. They shouldn't be rewarding terror." Katz said that 65 percent of passengers seeking to leave Israel on Wednesday were able to do so. The transportation minister ordered the Israeli Aviation Authority to open the Ovda Airport near Eilat to all international carriers, to facilitate passengers. Ben-Gurion International Airport officials said 32,000 passengers went through the airport on Wednesday, using 22 foreign carriers, which were reinforced by El Al, Arkia and Israir. Meanwhile, thousand of Israeli passengers trying to return to Israel were stranded in airports around the world. Among them was Meir Dahan, who has been stranded at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport for over a day. Tragically, Dahan is returning to Israel with the remains of his father, Shlomo, 57, who died after having undergone a heart transplant in India. Shlomo Dahan was the first Israeli patient to undergo an organ transplant in India. A cystic fibrosis patient, he had waited for a match for three years. He underwent surgery in late June, but passed away on Sunday. Meir Dahan was scheduled to fly from Turkey to Israel on Wednesday morning, but his flight was grounded over the FAA directive. " It's a nightmare. My father's funeral was set for 6 p.m. It's 5 p.m. and we're still stuck here," he said in a phone conversation with Israel Hayom. "It's more than just a tragedy for us we're haredi and the prohibition of delaying a burial is one of the most severe restrictions," he said. "They won't even let me take him to the local Chabad house." The family had contacted the Foreign Ministry, which in turn enlisted a private plane to assist the family, but the Turkish authorities have proven uncooperative. Israeli airlines are barred from landing in Turkey, and while Jerusalem and Ankara have been negotiating a direct flight route for Israeli carriers, the talks were placed on hold last week. The Israeli Airports Authority said last week it had suspended the talks until early 2015, citing security concerns.
