Former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg explains in this essay press release why he flew to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel. Here is the gist of his argument:

Just hours after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibited domestic airlines from flying to Israel this week, I boarded an El Al flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to express solidarity with the Israeli people and show the world that Israel’s airports remain open and safe …

Hamas would like nothing more than to close down Ben-Gurion, isolating Israel from the international community and seriously damaging its economy. By prohibiting U.S. carriers from flying into Ben-Gurion, the FAA handed Hamas a significant victory — one that the group will undoubtedly attempt to repeat. The FAA has, regretfully, succeeded only in emboldening Hamas. In times of crisis, acting out of an abundance of caution can be prudent. But closing down access to major infrastructure networks in the face of terrorist threats can be self-defeating.

For the record, we are with Mayor Bloomberg on this one. (Addendum: FAA ends its stupid and pusillanimous travel ban to Israel.)

Who are the bad guys here?