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Israeli airline secretly flying UN peacemakers around the world By Zohar Blumenkrantz, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: gaza, arkia, israel airlines  While the United Nations works feverishly towards a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Israeli airline Arkia has been discreetly flying special flights around the world for UN troops as part of an international tender it won in 2008, Haaretz has learned. Last month, on the eve of the Gaza operation, Arkia flew 125 UN peacekeepers from Nigeria to and from their assignment in Haiti in a Boeing 757-300 aircraft, refueling en route in Entebbe, Uganda and the island nation of Cape Verde. The flight took off from Ben-Gurion International Airport without passengers on December 18, loaded the peacekeepers in Nigeria and left for Haiti. Advertisement There it dropped the fresh peacekeepers off and received a new load of returning troops for the flight back to Nigeria. Within 48 hours, the plane was back in Israel. Haaretz has learned this is not the first time Arkia has served UN troops, but has done so dozens of times in the past, including the transport of peacekeepers from Poland to and from service monitoring Israel's borders. Arkia, owned by the Nakash brothers, significantly expanded its operations in the past year. Israel Airports Authority figures indicate the airline flew over 400,000 passengers last year on international flights from Ben-Gurion, 22 percent more than it had the previous year. Arkia is currently second in passenger volume among Israeli airlines after El Al, ahead of that company's subsidiary Sun d'Or and rival charter Israir. "The company does not usually comment on its commercial activity," Arkia representatives said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'With total determination' Widow of IDF soldier killed Monday remembers her fallen hero. Anti-Semites unite! Protests against Gaza op worldwide have had a hateful, violent tone.   1.   Boycott Arkia! Traitors! 07:34  |  Israeli Patriot 06/01/09   2.   how interesting; israel condemns the u.n. on one hand 10:11  |  eric 06/01/09   3.   UN Peacekeeper movement 13:30  |  Barak 06/01/09   4.   Eric #2 14:33  |  reality check 06/01/09

Read & React Bradley Burston / Gaza War Diary III: If Mexico shelled Texas, like Hamas shells Israel Responses: 151 At least 30 die in strike on Gaza school; IDF: Troops fired in self-defense Responses: 103 ANALYSIS / Israel is on its way to reoccupying all of the Gaza Strip Responses: 32 ANALYSIS / Price of stubborness over Gaza exit is dead Israeli soldiers Responses: 59 More Headlines 02:12 Abbas at UN calls for Gaza truce, fresh peace talks 01:51 Israel to establish 'humanitarian corridor' for Gaza Strip 01:55 Egypt's Gaza truce plan: ceasefire followed by border security talks 00:21 IDF shell kills 30 in Gaza UN school; Israel mulls appeal over Hamas fire from UN facilities 22:47 Obama breaks silence on Gaza, calls civilian deaths 'a deep concern' 23:03 Al-Qaida No. 2 urges Muslims to attack Israeli and Western targets over Gaza op 23:50 Five Israeli soldiers killed in 24 hours, as IDF closes in on Gaza cities 23:42 French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel's Gaza operation 16:21 Gaza rocket hits Gedera, 30km from Tel Aviv; baby lightly hurt 17:12 ANALYSIS / Price of stubborness over Gaza exit is dead soldiers 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 00:22 'You'll be proud of me, yet' slain IDF soldier told family before entering Gaza 21:45 The view from Ramallah / An Intifada in its infancy? 22:19 Turkey-Israel basketball game canned after pro-Gaza protesters storm court 14:37 ANALYSIS / Israel is on its way to reoccupying all of the Gaza Strip 19:17 'Iran pledged Hezbollah won't respond to Gaza op,' says top Lebanese MP 18:39 Jewish and Arab students clash on Gaza offensive 13:06 ANALYSIS / The unspoken goal of bringing down Hamas in Gaza 20:07 Hospitalized but defiant, Israeli soldiers eager to return to Gaza battle 13:40 Israeli general: Never knew I was evacuating my wounded soldier son from Gaza 13:00 Burning car rams synagogue in southwest France 13:46 Egypt bars doctors from entering Gaza Strip 05:44 Hamas puts Gazans in danger by drawing IDF into urban warfare 18:21 PICTURE GALLERY / Gaza incursion sparks protests around world Previous Editions Select Day 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec

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