Israel government rejects El Al loan request 

El Al airlines said Monday that the Treasury has rejected the carrier’s  request for a state loan of $350 million to weather the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the company said: “Representatives from the Finance Ministry informed the company that for now the Treasury’s team of professionals is not approving the requested aid package.” “The team said that it was under the authority of the political echelon to make a different decision, and in response, the company turned to the Israeli government for assistance,” the statement said. “State support in the near term is essential