The day Gaza got an airport and a presidential visit, fueling dreams of statehood

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/20/ [login to see] /gaza-palestinians-history-bill-clinton-airport
It's hard to fathom today. But once the Gaza Strip was calm enough to host a U.S. president, and Palestinian statehood seemed a real possibility.

The day was Dec. 14, 1998, and the mood was upbeat. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton stood next to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his wife to cut the ribbon inaugurating the Gaza International Airport in the southeast corner of the territory.