The headlines are blown, but no country is ready to accept us yet • So what are the chances that we can really fly and how will everything happen? Make an order

• We missed Ben Gurion Airport on busy days

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  Yossi Zeliger

Professor Itamar Grotto announced about two weeks ago that returnees from green countries will not have to go into isolation. Since then, teams from the Ministry of Transportation, Foreign Affairs and Health have been working to allow Israelis to reach those green countries and next week, on Sunday, the sky will open.

So where can we fly and whether at all? Currently, there is no official agreement with a green state that would agree to accept Israeli tourists. The European Union sees Israel as a red state and all EU countries follow the recommendations and do not allow Israeli tourists to enter their territory without the need for isolation.

However, Foreign Ministry teams have been working in recent days to allow Israelis to enter Greece and Cyprus. Both countries really want to see the Israeli tourist who usually comes with full pockets. Currently, the decision is not to allow, but it is possible that in the coming days an agreement will be formed that will allow Israelis to reach certain islands in Greece and possibly Cyprus. Tourists in the countries really want to see the Israeli tourist, but the authorities are afraid due to the high morbidity rate in Israel.

An agreement that allows returnees from green countries without the possibility that Israelis will visit them is really not worth much, at least not in the first stage. Other countries with which there are negotiations are the Czech Republic, Germany, Bulgaria, Montenegro and other countries with low infection rates. The new outline will take on greater significance when the morbidity rate in Israel falls and then we will actually be able to fly to a long line of countries and return from them without going into isolation.

At the same time, as we first published here in Israel today, a tender was published for the establishment of a Corona laboratory at Ben Gurion Airport. The establishment of such a system of tests means that countries that make it difficult for Israelis to enter their territory without isolation will make it easier for Israeli tourists and Foreign Ministry negotiators. Likely to enter more countries in the world. The establishment of such an array is expected to take at least two months, in the hope that during this time the morbidity rate in Israel will decrease significantly.

Currently there are states that allow entry without the need for isolation or presentation of corona tests. Israelis can enter almost all countries in the United States, Turkey, Mexico, Belarus and other countries. An important matter is that all those countries are defined as red and therefore, we can not avoid isolation when we return to Israel.

In recent weeks, many airlines have canceled flights on routes to Israel. Among the airlines that have canceled or postponed quite a few flights can be seen Rainier, EasyJet, Wise and the British companies British Airways and Virgin Atlantic which is in a very problematic financial situation. Along with the cancellations, there are also encouraging reports from large companies announcing that they will return to operate flights to Israel, led by Cathay Pacific Hong Kong, one of the most powerful airlines in the world and the first Asian airline to return flights to Tel Aviv.

In conclusion, a list of countries to which we can fly without the need for isolation upon entry or return to Israel has not yet been compiled. It seems that there will be some and we will know their names this week, but even that is not certain, it all depends on the Foreign Ministry and the desire of those countries to see Israeli tourists. The lower the infection rates in Israel, the more countries will open up to us. The outline that was implemented next Sunday brings with it a small line for that day and the days after, but a big line for the days when the numbers in Israel went down - there will be a ready and organized outline so we will not have to wait for someone to fly and we will not have to worry about entering isolation.

Recently, quite a few Israelis have been debating whether to book a plane ticket in light of the announcement of the opening of the sky. It is currently not recommended to do so, until an official announcement of the list of countries and how it will be done. It is also important to remember that insurance expenses increase significantly. Currently a few companies insure tourists abroad, most also do not insure to the United States. Insurance prices for green countries in Europe will range from 3-5 dollars per day for a healthy person and some insurances will also include treatments for those who contract Corona. The first company to start travel insurance abroad is Passportcard, with which you can be sure from today.

Israeli airlines are in different situations. Israir is very active, will operate flights to destinations that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Health will approve and will be one of the first companies to operate its Israeli planes and fly abroad and tourists to Israel. El Al and Arkia have not been active for many months and it is unclear when The hardest she knew, Arkia stopped working when the Corona crisis broke out and has not returned to work since, although its employees are protesting and demanding that it return to work immediately.