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Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Egypt bans Palestinian Arabs from entering country

The number of visitors to Egypt has dropped precipitously:
Minister of Civil Aviation Ibrahim Mannaa said on Wednesday that flights to Egypt have declined by 70 percent, which led to a sharp drop in profits.

Sources at Cairo International Airport said 14 of the international airlines canceled their flights to Cairo on Wednesday due to a lack of passengers.

“Passengers boarding EgyptAir flights have dropped to 54 percent,” added Mannaa. “Losses during the past two weeks can only be calculated after all losses are identified.”
But there is one group of people that Egypt doesn't want at all:
Immigration officers have been instructed to bar Palestinians from entering Egypt, an official at Cairo airport said on Wednesday after 12 travellers were sent back.

"There are instructions to stop Palestinians entering Egypt. Twelve Palestinians were sent back to the places they came from on Wednesday," the official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

A second airport-based official told AFP that airlines had been told not to bring Palestinian passengers to Egypt.
Of course, the Arab world will unanimously condemn this blatant discrimination against Palestinian Arabs, whom they care about so deeply.

Any time now.

(h/t Herb G)