Two Soviet cargo planes were refused landing rights Monday at Ben-Gurion Airport, depriving Soviet consumers of the 160 tons of Israeli fresh fruits and vegetables they were supposed to pick up.
According to a spokesman for the Israeli Agriculture Ministry, the landings were banned because Transport Minister Moshe Katsav is angry over the Soviet government’s failure so far to approve a joint service agreement reached four weeks ago between El Al and Aeroflot, the Israeli and Soviet national airlines.
But Katsav’s retaliation may have aroused the ire of his Cabinet colleague, Avraham Katz-Oz.
The agriculture minister returned from a visit to Moscow two weeks ago with a series of signed agreements, including one for the Soviet purchase of Israeli agricultural produce.
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