FIFA announces Tel Aviv-Doha charter flights for Qatar World Cup | Qatar World Cup 2022 News
Qatar said the flight arrangements were in compliance with FIFA’s hosting rules but insisted its stance on normalizing relations with Israel remained unchanged.
On Thursday, FIFA announced the operation of direct charter flights between Tel Aviv and Doha in the run-up to the upcoming soccer World Cup, with Qatar stressing that its stance on normalization relations with Israel, which has no diplomatic relations, remained unchanged.
Football’s world governing body says it has brokered the deal that will allow game ticket holders and valid Hayya fan ID card boarded flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to Doha’s Hamad International Airport during the month-long event.
The Hayya ID Card is a personalized form of identification issued and required by everyone attending any match. At least 8,000 Palestinians and 3,900 Israelis have signed up for Hayya cards, a source familiar with the deal told Reuters.
Federation President Gianni Infantino says the agreement allows Israeli and Palestinian fans to visit Qatar and attend matches during the World Cup.
“With this agreement, Israelis and Palestinians will be able to fly together and enjoy football together,” Infantino said in a statement.
However, FIFA did not share specifics on how Palestinians can take advantage of the flights, as Israel severely restricts access to Ben Gurion to residents of the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank often pass through Jordan, and Gazans are barely able to enter Ben Gurion Airport.
Spokesperson of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 said that since Doha won the rights to host the global event, it has insisted that all ticket holders can attend domestic matches. The spokesperson also said that this announcement demonstrates Qatar’s commitment to respect FIFA’s hosting policies and requirements.
The agreement on non-stop flights does not change Qatar’s stance on normalizing relations with Israel, which is tied to Palestine’s state status, a Qatari official said.
“Thanks to this agreement, Palestinians will be able to enjoy the first World Cup in the Arab and Muslim world,” the official said.
The official pointed out that Qatar has not seen any positive developments in the peace process that would alter its current policy, stressing that the arrangement of flights depends on Israel’s commitment to non-escalation in Palestinian territory.
Israeli passport holders can usually only visit Qatar on special visas issued for sports matches or conferences. There are no existing direct flights between the two countries.
“This is great news for football fans and for all Israelis. After months of hard work, we have arranged for Israeli nationals to fly directly to the World Cup in Qatar and open an Israeli office in Qatar to provide services to the fans who come to watch. World Cup,” said outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel.
FIFA confirms that Consular services for Israeli citizens will be provided in coordination with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a privately run international travel agency based in Doha. Palestinians will have access to consular services at the Palestinian embassy in Doha.
FIFA said the flight arrangements were “subject to Israel’s security requirements and operational capabilities”.
Qatar’s Gulf neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel under US-brokered treaties in 2020.
