A general strike will close Tel Aviv's main airport to most international flights from tomorrow and could lead to long delays for England fans travelling over for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier with Israel. The England team's flight will not be affected, however, as the general workers' union has promised to allow it to land.

A similar strike in September 2004 led to the postponement of a Uefa Cup game between Maccabi Petah Tikve and Heerenveen and Avi Luzon, then chairman of the Israeli club, promised to take his revenge on the union and its leaders, but his first major task as the new head of the Israeli FA is to avoid another public-relations disaster.