Israel to Hand Over Atarot Airport to Palestinians
Mohammed Mar’i; 12/4/08
Israel agreed to hand over the Atarot (Qalandia) Airport in northern Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Israeli Hebrew daily Kol HaZman reported yesterday. The newspaper quoted senior officials in the Israeli Foreign Ministry as saying that the deal was reached during ongoing secret talks between Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qorei. According to Kol HaZman, the transfer of Atarot is an Israeli gesture to strengthen Fatah and moderates in the West Bank as against Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip. The report said that Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski is strongly against the transfer of Atarot to PA. His aides said he was “astonished” to hear of the secret agreement.
See: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=108868&d=12&m=4&y=2008
Tags: Israel, Palestinian Authority