Following an FAA ban on U.S. flights to Israel, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that he was flying to Israel on Tuesday evening to prove that the trip is perfectly safe.
Bloomberg also slammed the FAA for the decision, calling the restrictions a "mistake."
The ban came in the wake of Gaza rocket attacks aimed towards Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Multiple European carriers also shut down the route.
In a statement Bloomberg said, "This evening I will be flying on El Al to Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the Israeli people and to demonstrate that it is safe to fly in and out of Israel. Ben Gurion is the best protected airport in the world and El Al flights have been regularly flying in and out of it safely. 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."
Earlier on Tuesday The Times of Israel reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and asked him to act in order to restore American air travel to and from Israel.
An Israeli diplomatic insider told The Algemeiner on Tuesday that the timing of the FAA's announcement was "puzzling to say the least."