Stuck on the Runway: The Heated Battle Over Establishing an Additional Airport in Israel

The article describes the ongoing struggle to establish a second international airport in Israel, against the backdrop of over-reliance on Ben Gurion Airport. The government decided in February on two airports, but the dispute between supporters of a Negev location and supporters of the Galilee, along with resident opposition, is delaying implementation. The article presents the position of opponents of the establishment at Ramat David.

The article deals with the ongoing struggle to establish a second international airport in Israel, emphasizing the country's almost complete dependence on Ben Gurion Airport. It is written that whenever Ben Gurion Airport is shut down, the entire country goes into a siege. The government decided last February to establish not one, but two international airports, but the dispute between supporters of a Negev location and supporters of the Galilee, along with resident opposition, is delaying implementation. The article presents the position of Limor Regev, one of the leaders of the struggle against establishing an airport near the Ramat David Air Force base, who claims that the construction will erase agricultural crops and divert streams from their course. The article notes that Israel records nearly 25 million passenger movements per year, and that over 95% of all traffic flows through Ben Gurion Airport, compared to countries like Belgium or Switzerland that have several airports.