Lebanon’s air transport regulatory authority has banned Cypriot airline Tus Air from using Beirut International Airport or flying over Lebanese territory. A measure taken after the acquisition of nearly 50% of the shares of the Cypriot company by Israeli capital.
With our correspondent in Beirut, Paul Khalifeh
The decision to close Lebanese airspace to the Cypriot company Tus Air was taken within the framework of the Boycott of Israel Law.
In 1951, the Arab League called on member states to ban all sorts of political, economic, commercial and cultural relations with Israel. Lebanon was one of the first Arab countries to adopt, in 1955, its legislation at the decision of the League. The approved law is very severe and sanctions any contact, even on an individual basis, between Lebanese and Israeli citizens.
No easing in sight
In the wake of the normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel encouraged by the United States, many Gulf and North African states have relaxed their laws. In 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates normalized their diplomatic relations. Last March, they signed a customs agreement in anticipation of the entry into force of a free trade agreementthe first of its kind between the Jewish state and an Arab country.
Saudi Arabia has also timidly embarked on the path to normalization.n by opening its airspace last July to Israeli commercial aircraft.
Lebanon is therefore one of the rare Arab countries to apply today to the letter the law of the boycott of Israel. A few weeks ago, two Ukrainian companies with Israeli capital were banned from all activity in Lebanon.