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Last update - 14:16 21/12/2006
Small mosque to be erected at Ben-Gurion International Airport
By Zohar Blumenkratz, Haaretz Correspondent

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) intends to erect a small mosque at Ben-Gurion International Airport, according to the IAA Director-General Gabi Ophir.

Ophir said Thursday he has instructed the airport's management to set up a room designated for Muslim prayers, as part of IAA efforts to improve services to passengers.

The roughly 20-square-meter room will be erected in the airport's main terminal, Terminal 3.

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The plan was formulated by a senior Interior Ministry official.

"The initiative to set up the prayer room is an additional element in the efforts the IAA is making in order to strengthen ties with the Arab sector, [and follows] requests that the IAA set up a prayer room," said Ophir.

A water trough for washing feet and hands and a bench will be placed at the entrance to the room. The room will also be carpeted and will have a delineated alcove that faces Mecca. The mosque will also include a collection of copies of the Quran.

The initiative is one of a series of steps the IAA is taking in order to improve relations with the Arab sector, first and foremost of which is the establishment of a special team that will be in charge of providing customer service to Arabic-speaking passengers.

The IAA has also launched an Arabic-language Web site.

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  1.   Mosque at Ben Gurion??? 12:16  |  Yossi 21/12/06
  2.   cool! 12:28  |  tuairimiocht 21/12/06
  3.   Mosque only for illustrious travellers, unfortunately 12:28  |  Hannah 21/12/06
  4.   assymetric g`mulah 12:41  |  Akiva Patysh, Tzioni 21/12/06
  5.   #3 Squatter Rights? 12:41  |  Joe P. 21/12/06
  6.   Wow! 12:42  |  ron 21/12/06
  7.   Hannah, Since you have chosen not to reply to my note to you from 12:47  |  Nadav 21/12/06
  8.   #3 That`s the biggest load of rubbish. Your kind are never happy. 12:55  |  Dan 21/12/06
  9.   To Yossi and Hannah 12:57  |  TM 21/12/06
  10.   mosque at Ben Gurion 13:06  |  darwish 21/12/06
  11.   One Place for all 13:06  |  Not Religious 21/12/06
  12.   Next step : when a mosque in "Kosher Airlines" ? LOL 13:10  |  Yanke-love-it 21/12/06
  13.   WE ARE CRAZY - AT LEAST THE GOVT IS 13:12  |  Aussie Michael 21/12/06
  14.   Nice, but no solution 13:17  |  Dani Reiss 21/12/06
  15.   Not a Mosque/better treatment. 13:37  |  Joe 21/12/06
  16.   Is there a church at Ben Gurion Airport ? 13:45  |  Paul Henzen 21/12/06
  17.   Aussie#13.... ISLAM IS THE SECOND RELIGION IN ISRAEL ! 13:53  |  Jeremy 21/12/06
  18.   to Yossi #1: Muslims in Israel are more than 20 % 14:05  |  Moshe 21/12/06
  19.   15: Joe, grow up 14:12  |  David Teich 21/12/06
  20.   Yech! 14:14  |  Hannah 21/12/06
  21.   To Jeremy #13 - wrong - not their land 14:15  |  Aussie Michael 21/12/06
  22.   JEREMY Many Israeli Arabs came from Egypt Jordan Syria 14:17  |  PETER SM 21/12/06
  23.   #7, Nadev 14:23  |  Hannah 21/12/06
  24.   Hannah, look under Diplomacy then "Blair calls.." to read my note 14:35  |  Nadav 21/12/06
  25.   THIS IS PROOF WHY JEWS ARE BETTER THAN ARABS 14:38  |  hello 21/12/06
  26.   Better late then never.....i guess 15:02  |  Musa 21/12/06
  27.   Why? 15:05  |  Ahmose The Egyptian 21/12/06
  28.   Synagogue in Ben Gurion 15:12  |  Nik Miller 21/12/06
  29.   I CAN`T BELIEVE THIS!!! 15:21  |  Robert 21/12/06
  30.   Arafat International Airport will be ours someday anyway. 15:21  |  Ramsi 21/12/06
  31.   26`s Drivel 15:29  |  Lavi 21/12/06
  32.   Suckers! 15:30  |  M. Duvduvani 21/12/06
  33.   Ramsi # 30. I suggest that you share your announcement with 15:30  |  Reuma 21/12/06
  34.   Ramsi - Gaza 15:30  |  Nik Miller 21/12/06
  35.   Don`t see the benifit 15:31  |  Rami 21/12/06
  36.   17: No, Jeremy, they came from the Balkans, Turkey, ... 15:34  |  David Teich 21/12/06
  37.   Mosques in Airports 15:36  |  Tex 21/12/06
  38.   Pinnacle of hypocricy 15:42  |  www.kibush.co.il 21/12/06
  39.   The New Airport Mosque 15:45  |  David Harris 21/12/06
  40.   How interesting 15:47  |  Isac 21/12/06
  41.   A positive sign 15:55  |  Alicia 21/12/06
  42.   #22 15:56  |  friendly dialog 21/12/06
  43.   TO MUCH HONER TO THEM, I WOULD NOT GIVE THEM PERMITION TO PRAY 16:00  |  your brother 21/12/06
  44.   I AM SICK IN MY STOMACK JUST THINKING ABOUT IT 16:05  |  For Real 21/12/06
  45.   Mosque 16:15  |  Anton Siniora 21/12/06
  46.   Some progress 16:17  |  Jews for peace 21/12/06
  47.   Listen Israelies 16:18  |  Justice Seeker 21/12/06
  48.   Why not Budda temple or church or synagogue 16:23  |  Sal 21/12/06
  49.   Where did the Jewish state go? 16:28  |  Shiloh 21/12/06
  50.   Reply to Isac 16:38  |  Amish 21/12/06
  51.   # 28 - Nick Miller - a Christmas tree ? 16:45  |  Paul Henzen 21/12/06
  52.   Um democracy anyone? 16:51  |  Michael 21/12/06
  53.   #40 - Isaac 16:52  |  Tafazzul Kamal 21/12/06
  54.   # 30 Ramsi, and pigs will fly around it... 16:58  |  Paul Henzen 21/12/06
  55.   Time to realize a basic truth 17:07  |  Bimmer 21/12/06
  56.   Hannulah #3...only for Saudis? 17:11  |  albert amato 21/12/06
  57.   Mosque ???????!!!!!!!!!!! 17:16  |  R. 21/12/06
  58.   Paul Henzen 17:27  |  Nik Miller 21/12/06
  59.   To Yossi @1 17:35  |  Mark B. 21/12/06
  60.   `Kibush`, one question for you 17:37  |  Jake 21/12/06
  61.   We want Santa Claus at B.G. 17:40  |  Jeroen 21/12/06
  62.   BREAKING NEWS! RIYAD intl. AIRPORT opens the first SYNAGOUGE !! 17:59  |  DAVID KOHEN 21/12/06
  63.   to #50 and #53 18:05  |  Isac 21/12/06
  64.   Build a Christian Chapel, too 18:24  |  Butch ben Yok 21/12/06
  65.   PROOF WHY JEWS ARE BETTER?? 18:24  |  Amused 21/12/06
  66.   Smart move 18:33  |  Paul 21/12/06
  67.   Amsterdam 18:37  |  English 21/12/06
  68.   IT IS AGAINST THE LAW, READ BOOK OF LEVI`S, STRANGERS IN OUR LAND 18:43  |  Law and Order 21/12/06
  69.   The mosque will crumble 18:44  |  jp 21/12/06
  70.   Think Iranian Jews have it bad? 18:51  |  Bimmer 21/12/06
  71.   APARTHEID STATE 18:52  |  Allon 21/12/06
  72.   to #65 What ignorant remarks. Stop writing and start reading. 18:58  |  Bimmer 21/12/06
  73.   Small Mosque same size as Airport Shul 18:58  |  Piranha 21/12/06
  74.   Surely muslims will pray for the destruction of BG airport and IL 19:12  |  Aaron 21/12/06
  75.   David Kopel - A tragic accident 19:13  |  wibism 21/12/06
  76.   #3 :Whose the squatter? 19:37  |  Michael Greenberg 21/12/06
  77.   to #15 JOE 19:39  |  Isaac 21/12/06
  78.   Whoever came up with this idea... 19:41  |  Howard 21/12/06
  79.   Now, tit for tat 19:49  |  Nick 21/12/06
  80.   Instead of covetting of 1 million pals,go for 1 billion Hindu by 20:26  |  Absolute Sweden 21/12/06
  81.   # 58 Nik Miller - chapel / tree / menorah 20:36  |  Paul Henzen 21/12/06
  82.   the percentage of muslims in israel 21:13  |  Einstein 21/12/06
  83.   Hannah 21:21  |  Connie 21/12/06
  84.   Having a Mosque is a very good idea. 21:30  |  Mark 21/12/06
  85.   Tactful Critique of all Religions 21:42  |  BP DIP 21/12/06
  86.   Jews for peace ? # 46 21:44  |  charles 21/12/06
  87.   ... 21:48  |  Jake