Transport Minister Reconsidering US Refueling Plan at Ben Gurion Amid Security Concerns

Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev addressed several pressing issues in a recent interview on Channel 14, including the deployment of American refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, tensions with Iran, the Likud party primaries, and election day airspace rumors. Regev emphasized that Ben Gurion is a civilian airport, not a military base, and following Prime Minister Netanyahu's intervention, the Israeli Air Force agreed to relocate some of the refueling planes. She stated that flights for thousands of civilians will continue, but if operational needs and US security demands in the region increase, Israel will reconsider its stance.

Regarding Iran, Regev declared that Israel is prepared for both defensive and offensive scenarios. She criticized any agreements with Iran as ineffective, asserting firmly that "Iran will not remain nuclear," a position consistently upheld by both her and the Prime Minister. On domestic politics, Regev confirmed that Likud primaries are necessary and supported Netanyahu's preference for them, while acknowledging the party leader's privilege to assign reserved spots. She expressed confidence in her position on the party list.

Regev also dismissed media claims about plans to close Israeli airspace on election day, calling them false and affirming that the skies will remain open throughout the elections. Additionally, she sharply criticized former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot for comparing Mansour Abbas, a politician with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, to Yosef Hadad, a decorated IDF Golani soldier, urging Eizenkot to reconsider his remarks.