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Richard Branson lands in Israel to inaugurate Virgin Atlantic’s new London-Tel Aviv route

He praised Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit, saying he opposes boycotts, and that his company is “invested in both Israel and Palestine.”

A Virgin Atlantic jet lands at London's Heathrow Airport, on June 7, 2015. Photo by Adrian Pingstone via Wikimedia Commons.
A Virgin Atlantic jet lands at London’s Heathrow Airport, on June 7, 2015. Photo by Adrian Pingstone via Wikimedia Commons.

British billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, arrived in Israel on Wednesday to inaugurate the airline’s new route from London’s Heathrow Airport to Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

Branson exited the plane with flight attendants waving Israeli and British flags, and then bent down and kissed the ground.

He praised Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit and advances in space technology, saying he opposes boycotts, and that his company is “invested in both Israel and Palestine,” reported i24 News.

He also noted that the addition of this route will help decrease airline fares to and from Israel.

The flight from London to Tel Aviv takes five hours and will be served by Virgin’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

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The terror group “continues to operate in a manner that endangers international forces and harms U.N. personnel operating in the area,” the IDF said.
IDF says more than 70 sites hit in 24 hours, including missile launchers, UAV facilities and air defense systems.
“IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” the military said.
The Israeli defense minister said the IDF would control the area of Southern Lebanon up to the Litani River.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog highlighted concerns over the safety and security of Christian communities in the Middle East.