Reuven Koret is publisher of israelinsider and CEO of Koret Communications.
More from Reuven Koret
	Dealing with the devil
	A plea for forgiveness
	A caution before the crusade
	Time to face Mecca
	What the world can learn from Israel
	Israel should be grateful for Durban
	Do good fences really make good neighbors?
	Sexual fantasies of a suicide bomber
	Re-Orienting Israeli policy
	"Swordfish" and Israeli anti-terrorist policy
	Before the boom
	Old enough for a new gas mask
	Renaming for peace
	Before the storm
	Avoiding future catastrophes
	Facing the faceless enemy
	A tale of two doormats
	Replacing Humpty Dumpty

Israeli Air Force: Flying
The IDF Spokesperson announced earlier this week that the IAF will conduct a large-scale exercise involving many aircraft, "and it is reasonable that supersonic booms will be heard." The IDF Spokesperson "regrets any discomfort caused by the noise and is confident that the need for this exercise will be understood." The spokesperson was further quoted as saying that this was a full simulation of a war scenario, in which virtually all Israeli military aircraft - fighters, helicopters, and transports - were involved. Reportedly it was a routine prescheduled exercise, conducted every few years.

Still, the timing had some observers perking up their ears. Palestinians and Lebanese civilians reportedly heard the sonic booms and feared retaliation for Friday's suicide bombing. The Jerusalem Post also reported that that "the air exercise also includes various target placements on the ground, and the public may observe bizarre convoys of military trucks that appear to be towing surface-to-surface missiles."

Yasser Arafat: Grounded
The PA Chairman is reportedly earthbound in Ramallah, unable to catch a chopper ride to Gaza, one of the few times his movements have been so restricted. There were reports that his request for the overflight was rejected, but sources in the Prime Minister's Office would only say that Arafat has not requested permission through the proper channels. They indicated that if and when such a request was received, it would be duly considered.

Latest reports indicate that while he may have received permission to take off from Ramallah, there's no place for him to land, as the Gaza airport remains closed.

Reform kids: Grounded
After weeks of "painful soul-searching," the Jewish Reform Movement leadership decided to suspend its youth trips to Israel this summer, according to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the UAHC, announced the decision at Saturday night's meeting of the UAHC Board of Trustees. "Our religious and Zionist commitments run deep and are known to all, but this movement never uses other people's children to make a political or ideological point," he said.

The decision to suspend the Reform summer Israel program - the largest and oldest of North America's teenage groups - came months after other large groups canceled, including the Cohen Foundation and the Houston and Dallas community trips. Despite the significant adjustments that had already been made to the planned itinerary to insure the safety of the participants, the volatility of the situation in Israel made it impossible to project what might occur in the next three weeks.

Yoffie said the decision to cancel the trip was perhaps the most difficult single decision he has had to make since becoming president of the UAHC five years ago. "I am heartbroken about the necessity of taking this step," he said, adding that he was exceedingly angry at those whose murderous actions forced the UAHC to make this difficult decision." Yoffie, who has been an outspoken backer of the Oslo process, did not identify those to whom he was referring.

The ambiguity of Yoffie's unnamed reference may not be accidental, since he has recently been outspoken in blaming Israel for the violence. Speaking at the UAHC's national board meeting, he reportedly accused Israel of committing "acts of degradation and cruelty" against the Palestinians, called Israel's settlement policies "fanatic" and blamed Israel for "demonizing" its enemies.

The UAHC last year sent 1,500 high school students to Israel. While this year's registration was dramatically lower, and the number of cancellations and concerns expressed about the trip had grown over the past week, there were still more than 300 families who were prepared to entrust the safety of their children to the UAHC.

Rabbi Allan Smith, director of the UAHC's Youth Division, said the families of those who were registered for the program have been called and offered alternative programs, including trips highlighting Jewish sites and history in Europe and the United States. Rabbi Smith did not identify which countries and cities he considered safe.

Delta, Air France: Up in the air
Comme si, comme ça. Following the Dolphi disco attack, several airlines-- Delta, KLM, and Air France - suddenly developed mysterious technical failures that caused Israel-bound flights to be summarily canceled.

Soon thereafter, Israeli Deputy Transportation Minister Avi Yechezkel called on travelers to boycott airlines limiting flights to and from Israel, no matter what the stated reason.

In the following day, some of the "technical failures" were resolved:

	KLM said that its Friday flight really was cancelled for technical reasons, and claimed that the cancellation was made before the Friday night bombing. It has reportedly returned to its regular schedule.
	Delta Airlines may market itself as the company that "loves to fly," but it hasn't showed in Israel. A day after inaugurating its Tel Aviv and New York line, the company canceled flights, and yesterday said that it may do so again. A company spokesman said that the decision was taken because "the safety and security of Delta's passengers is of the utmost importance." Delta reportedly has decided to "code-share" with El-Al, effectively chartering the Israeli company's aircraft for the route.
	The French took a different approach, after canceling two flights due to what the company said was "concern for the safety of its clients, staff, and equipment." Air France will fly to Israel but won't stay here overnight, preferring Cyprus to Tel Aviv as the site of crew layovers. What, something wrong with our café au lait?

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