In First, There Will Be Direct Flights Between Tel Aviv and Doha for World Cup

Qatar agreed to allow direct flights between Doha and Tel Aviv to bring Israeli fans to the World Cup even though the two countries don’t have diplomatic relations. The agreement was reached over the weekend between Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and representatives of FIFA and the organizers of the World Cup in Qatar. But even after the deal was announced, no airline had stepped up to offer the direct flights. On Tuesday, Cypriot airline TUS Airways was given permission to operate the direct flights between Israel and Qatar. The airline is partially Israeli-owned. Tus had already made plans for a workaround to get Israeli soccer fans to the international tournament – landing the plane from Tel Aviv in Cyprus’ Larnaca, known as a “diplomatic layover,” and then continuing on to Doha. Up to 30,000 Israelis are expected to visit Qatar to attend the World Cup to root on their favorite teams, which do not include Israel’s national team, which did not qualify for the tournament. Many of the Israelis traveling to Qatar reportedly will do so on a second, foreign passport, which means that Israel will not be able to provide consular services in the event of an emergency. Staff from Israel’s Foreign Ministry will operate out of a situation room in Doha during the World Cup.