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Ultra-Orthodox pressure stalling church, mosque at Ben-Gurion airport
By Zohar Blumenkrantz
Tags: Ben-Gurion airport 

Ultra-Orthodox political pressure has stalled the construction of a church and a mosque at Ben-Gurion International Airport for the past five years, aviation sources told Haaretz.

This came to light after several clergy members wrote to the Israel Airports Authority, requesting it allow for a church in Terminal 3.

Haaretz inquired, and learned that the plans for the new terminal included both a church and a mosque, but that they never were built.
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IAA spokeswoman Ronit Ekstein said she "would rather not comment at this stage."

The request for a church inside the terminal was made by one of the leaders of the Belgian church in Jerusalem, Father Christian Eeckhout.

Eeckhout sent a letter to Eldad Yaniv, the IAA official responsible for relations with aviation companies, and suggested that space inside the terminal be allocated for a church, which would be used mostly by pilgrims passing through.

He based his request in part on the fact that the airport has two synagogues, one of them in Terminal 3.

The new terminal at Ben-Gurion, which opened in October 2004, was supposed to have had a mosque and a church.

The IAA director of public complaints, Telma Shamir, confirmed this in writing as early as 2003, in response to a letter by Eitan Heller.

Heller, a former Geocartography Institute employee who conducted surveys at the airport on behalf of the tourism ministry, wrote to Shamir, under the name Ahmed Beck from Jaffa, to complain that there was no mosque at the airport.

Shamir responded to him in 2003: "I have checked the matter on several occasions. Unfortunately, we cannot approve your request due to lack of space in the current terminal ... but as we have learned from our mistakes, space has been allocated for a worship area for Christians and Muslims at the new terminal, which we hope to inaugurate next summer."

In 2006, then-IAA director issued an order to set up a prayer room for Muslim passengers in Terminal 3. The mosque was supposed to have been allocated 20 square meters, and include a library with copies of the Koran.

However, the mosque still does not exist.
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  1.   Pluralistic Jewish Utopia 04:31  |  Ari 22/11/09
  2.   No new Churches or Mosques on Israeli soil 04:50  |  Avraham 22/11/09
  3.   So how many synagogues are in Belgian airports? 05:32  |  Jose 22/11/09
  4.   1 and 2 05:42  |  azbob 22/11/09
  5.   Avraham - WHY NOT? 07:03  |  CJ 22/11/09
  6.   1. Daniel 07:23  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  7.   no religious places on airports! 07:38  |  dudi 22/11/09
  8.   churches and mosques 07:39  |  BM 22/11/09
  9.   #2 Avraham your rascism knows no limits 07:42  |  SJ 22/11/09
  10.   3: What a stupid question... 08:22  |  Zeev 22/11/09
  11.   #4 Azbob read between the lines 08:24  |  blash 22/11/09
  12.   Has Israel gone nuts? 08:26  |  Disgusted 22/11/09
  13.   Allow ONLY new churches . No mosques 08:38  |  Zeev 22/11/09
  14.   When there is a synagogue in a Moslem airport we can talk. 08:42  |  Alan 22/11/09
  15.   Anything new? We always knew that haredim rule-the-coop... 08:42  |  Esther 22/11/09
  16.   Avraham from the west bank... 08:42  |  had enough 22/11/09
  17.   why is a church needed in an airport? 08:58  |  Observer 22/11/09
  18.   @disgusted 09:03  |  had enough 22/11/09
  19.   Realistically ... 09:14  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  20.   Build the mosque and church 09:14  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 22/11/09
  21.   To be fair and realistic 09:26  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  22.   Church / Mosque / Synagogue at BenGurion Airport? 09:42  |  M Bloomfield 22/11/09
  23.   Rome,Athens, dont allow mosques 09:44  |  MIlton 22/11/09
  24.   Jose - Belgium is a place of religious pilgrimage? WOW!!! 10:06  |  CJ 22/11/09
  25.   Holy rollers 10:06  |  a voice 22/11/09
  26.   blash - Israeli`s building ILLEGAL settlements outside of Israel 10:09  |  CJ 22/11/09
  27.   Disgusted - How many Muslim states are pilgrim destinations 10:13  |  CJ 22/11/09
  28.   Alan - Which Muslim State is a destination for Jewish pilgimage? 10:14  |  CJ 22/11/09
  29.   had enough - Israeli soil begins and ends In Israel 10:17  |  CJ 22/11/09
  30.   Observer - so why is there a Synagogue? 10:19  |  CJ 22/11/09
  31.   Daniel To be fair and realistic, the US is not a destination for 10:21  |  CJ 22/11/09
  32.   Jose 10:50  |  sh 22/11/09
  33.   If Israel wants to be a creditable custodian of the Holy Land 10:55  |  sh 22/11/09
  34.   Respect all 12:52  |  Dan Y. 22/11/09
  35.   How long till the Jewish civil war then? 70AD again. 13:00  |  Michael 22/11/09
  36.   # 2 Avraham 13:00  |  Sarah 22/11/09
  37.   A DEMOCRACY?? 13:18  |  Boyd 22/11/09
  38.   Monotheism`s a dangerous aberration anyway. 13:22  |  Michael 22/11/09
  39.   #13 but zeev, the existing mosques can`t possibly keep up 13:28  |  eric 22/11/09
  40.   Simple solution 13:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/11/09
  41.   Any Synagogues or Churches In Muslim nations Airports? 13:34  |  Petra 22/11/09
  42.   The Muslim do NOT need a Mosque to pray 13:47  |  Al Saleh Ibn S. 22/11/09
  43.   It is about time the non Jewish of WEST BANK 13:57  |  Bernadette D 22/11/09
  44.   #17 Observer 14:05  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/11/09
  45.   This is irrelevant 14:29  |  Linichka 22/11/09
  46.   Chris Linthwaite, you continue insulting our people 14:31  |  Israeli citizen 22/11/09
  47.   There is no freedom of religion in Israel - for Jews! 14:43  |  Yonatan 22/11/09
  48.   #38 Michael - Finally, I agree with you on something 14:48  |  Yonatan 22/11/09
  49.   A synagogue on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships 14:58  |  Rafi 22/11/09
  50.   To CJ - the US IS a destination for relgious pilgrams 15:11  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  51.   #40 What are you talking about? 15:19  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  52.   How many 15:20  |  Jackie 22/11/09
  53.   #48 - Not True 15:24  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  54.   ridiculous 15:35  |  moshe 22/11/09
  55.   # 49 daniel 15:35  |  Axel 22/11/09
  56.   #52 - I think it is partially a money thing 15:42  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  57.   Churches 15:44  |  Andrew Michaels 22/11/09
  58.   #50 David 15:49  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/11/09
  59.   Brussels airport 16:11  |  David 22/11/09
  60.   #52 You saying Christianity 16:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/11/09
  61.   Why any religious area at airport? 16:36  |  Jasper 22/11/09
  62.   Why is any of this necessary? 16:49  |  MIKE 22/11/09
  63.   CJ- Djerba Tunisia NO SYN 17:01  |  Nati Hans 22/11/09
  64.   chris lintywafffen 17:06  |  Chaphari 22/11/09
  65.   #57 Jasper 17:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/11/09
  66.   Israel does not need 17:09  |  Ron 22/11/09
  67.   Simple solution 17:22  |  Yaakov 22/11/09
  68.   #57 Israel does not claim that 18:00  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  69.   #57 - no one is being charged to pray 18:05  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  70.   the "only democratic country" in the middle-east?? 18:12  |  Ramin 22/11/09
  71.   I would have no respect for my synagogue if 18:14  |  bronxite10 22/11/09
  72.   #61 - It is necessary 18:22  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  73.   Nati Hans -- Is there a Mosque in Djerba Airport? 18:26  |  CJ 22/11/09
  74.   #69 18:29  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  75.   Chaphari - `Ryad` a pilgrimages for Jews /Christians? 18:30  |  CJ 22/11/09
  76.   Quiet worship possibility for each in Ben Gurion Int. Airport 18:56  |  Christian 22/11/09
  77.   How Quickly Everyone Forgets What Happened! 19:11  |  Mark 22/11/09
  78.   Isrel and religion 19:17  |  ilan 22/11/09
  79.   #78 - very different view from here 19:38  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  80.   Mark -- UH? 20:30  |  CJ 22/11/09
  81.   Nati Hans 20:43  |  sh 22/11/09
  82.   Ultra-Orthodox 20:55  |  Ali Christian Shamir 22/11/09
  83.   build religious place 20:59  |  jo moor 22/11/09
  84.   mosok and chirtch 21:04  |  jo moor 22/11/09
  85.   "No new Churches" by Avraham 21:05  |  Marjorie 22/11/09
  86.   #80 21:21  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  87.   #82 - False Analogy 21:23  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  88.   Re #85 21:29  |  Daniel 22/11/09
  89.   As a muslim practising 5 times a day 21:49  |  Isa 22/11/09
  90.   #4 azbob , your mouth- foaming is totally 22:52  |  TOMY 22/11/09
  91.   A CHURCH YES BUT A MOSQUE NO 23:54  |  Zionist forever 22/11/09
  92.   Israel is a religiously intolerant society 00:24  |  American in NY 23/11/09
  93.   This airport is used by many religious pilgrims 00:34  |  Bloodyscot 23/11/09
  94.   chuches, mosques, synagogues 00:38  |  Historian101 23/11/09
  95.   @Marjorie 00:40  |  Historian101 23/11/09
  96.   Bnei Noach 00:53  |  Abshalom 23/11/09
  97.   And the evidence of "ultra-Orthodox" pressure is... 00:59  |  Moises 23/11/09
  98.   how many Muslims does Israel let visit anyway? 01:40  |  newageblues 23/11/09
  99.   CJ , I have friends who travel for business 01:43  |  TOMY 23/11/09
  100.   hOsPITALS HAVE ONE ROOM 01:46  |  tobia 23/11/09
  101.   #28 CJ the place for Jewish pigrimige 01:52  |  TOMY 23/11/09
  102.   Observer 01:55  |  stella westwell 23/11/09
  103.   Easy solution 02:01  |  stella westwell 23/11/09
  104.   The truth is that rooms at airoports are 02:08  |  TOMY 23/11/09
  105.   To Avraham, n 2 02:44  |  Luiz Felipe Haddad 23/11/09
  106.   THE State of Israel HAS granted permission for a Church& a Mosque 07:30  |  PETER SM 23/11/09
  107.   Luiz Felipe Haddad 08:32  |  abraham 23/11/09
  108.   CJ Sydney Australia & to had enough 08:34  |  Disgusted 23/11/09
  109.   #87 - Not really 10:01  |  Daniel 23/11/09
  110.   #86 - I disagree 10:03  |  Daneil 23/11/09
  111.   Business of the state 11:53  |  Sajid Syed 23/11/09
  112.   Mosque Vs Church at BG 16:55  |  MenachemP 23/11/09
  113.   There is a church and a synagogue in LAX 19:59  |  Hila 23/11/09
  114.   Synagogues in Belgian airports 16:02  |  Ouma 24/11/09
  115.   Unnecessary discussion - 2 Synagogue planned whom for? 16:15  |  H.H.M 24/11/09
  116.   To #2 Avraham 19:45  |  Amir 25/11/09
  117.   Final Destiny 17:18  |  Ed 29/11/09
  118.   Churches and Mosques 11:58  |  Renny 30/11/09
  119.   Synagogue vs Mosque vs Church 12:01  |  Avraham 07/12/09
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