Will Ben Gurion Airport Close Again After Israel’s Election Until The Summer?

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Photo Credit: Askii [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
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Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport closed on January 26th and operations have been non-existent or limited since then.

Israel is holding their 4th election in less than 24 months (I’m fairly certain this fits the definition of insanity) on March 23rd. The election is what forced Israel’s hand to open up the airport and allow Israelis to enter the country with no permission required, so that they can fulfill their civic responsibility and vote.

Arutz Sheva reports that an agreement has been reached between the Ministries of Transportation and Health that Israel will close off commercial flights until the summer, though the report lacks any further details.

Globes reports that Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev confirmed that the airport would have remained closed if not for the elections. She said that a decision will be made in the week before the election about whether to bring back the exceptions committee and further limit flights. That could mean that Israel will only allow those with emergencies to enter or leave the country. It may also mean that students who are abroad will be locked out of returning to the country.

Israel hopes to vaccinate all adults by the end of April, but the country is still concerned about the introduction of variants from abroad that may infect even those who are vaccinated.

But I’m still partial to how DDF member @yfr bachur put Israel’s never ending changing policies as a riff on El Al’s slogan, “הכי בבית בעולם” or the most at home in the world…that would only be true if your house was run by your toddler having a tantrum.

Do you think Israel will limit flights and/or close Ben Gurion Airport again after the election?


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30 Comments On "Will Ben Gurion Airport Close Again After Israel’s Election Until The Summer?"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Harry

Is the border in Eilat to Jordan or Egypt closed? The reason I ask this is couldn’t someone essentially fly into Amman or Cairo and then drive to Eilat and get into the country?

Rafi

All land borders are closed. Amman and then K.Hussein Bridge was a sample loophole closed a while ago.

Barry Reiner

If I have tickets for Pesach AND Shavuos AND Sukkos, shouldn’t I be allowed to keep 1 day? Just kidding

aygart

(I’m fairly certain this fits the definition of insanity)
You missed the link for this 🙂

yelped

I think it’s ludicrous to keep a vaccinated country under lock and key if we are fairly certain (90%+) that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective against all currently known variants, too.

Andy

I agree. All evidence to date shows that the vaccines are very effective against the current variants. If we stay locked down out of fear of mutations then we will never open back up. The virus will always continue to mutate.

saul fasten

the ministers are like a bunch of dogs without a dogwalker. where is the PM in all of this. i am an israeli citizen and will not allow myself to be jerked around like this.

ConcernedCitizen

How will you not allow it?

samdaman

Get in the weekly line in Balfour….

CuriousFlyer

So if we, as US citizens, are able to get access into Israel before Pesach from the exception committee, and have tickets returning to USA after Pesach. Are you saying that the airport will be closed and we won’t be able to travel to the USA after Pesach until the summer? Dan, would you risk such a flight with kids? and jobs?

Denverite

Everyone can make their own risk assessment but there are still students who went home Hannukah that can’t return to Israel and people who went on vacation to Dubai in January, trying to get back to Israel. These are real cases. It doesn’t at all seem worth the risk to uproot your whole family and possibly lose your job.

Nat Zitomer

Your ‘if’ says that you don’t currently have access (no air tickets; no special exception). You are unlikely to find flights, and hell would freeze over before you get special permission–especially for Pesach. This makes the second half of your post moot.

Yaakov

Too risky. You might end up stuck in Israel like Yitchak Avinu, and following Bamidbar 33:53.

samdaman

Nobody knows.
Even if they announced the exact plan through Lag BaOmer now, in the best of times it would be subject to change. Noone has any idea how the election results will affect the borders and flights.

Texas Totty

הכי בבית בעולם means they will do their utmost to keep you home.

Quote from Chaim V\'Chessed email

As of now, foreign students studying in Israel, regardless of their vaccination status, will NOT be allowed to enter Israel should they leave for Pesach. This applies to single students as well as married. While this policy can change at any time, any non-Israeli who does not need to leave Israel for a true emergency should consider deferring travel plans if they hope to return to Israel after Pesach.

Danie

Dan, hi. Thanks for keeping us informed. Last night Delta cancelled #234 jfk to tlv. tonight’s flight is still scheduled. My son and his family are booked #235 Thurs night tlv to jfk, and that’s their plane going tonight. My question is: if they cancelled last night, is it likely they will do so again? I want to advise my son to start searching for options to get home for Pesach…

bp27

Delta 234 did fly last night and 235 is flying tonight. Thursday night’s 235 will be the plane from tomorrow’s flight 234, not tonight’s.

PS

I’m glad to see at least some Israelis realize this tyrannical government is controlling them similarly to a communist country.

To all of you in America, just enjoy your freedom because I’m really beginning to understand why America is the land of the free. Yes, even under the Biden administration we are still more free than anywhere else.

Trying to understand

It sounds like they are planning to have elections again in the summer…

Judy

If they do close it again we can always look forward to the next election. Seriously though, Israel will have to open eventually so not to destroy certain industries for good. Moshiach is on its way!!!

Macher

There are a bunch of Aliyah flights scheduled between now and the summer. Hopefully at least those will go through.

AaAron

Could I fly to Cyprus and charter a yacht to take my family and I into the port of Haifa?

yekutiel

El Al is currently selling tickets to New York for the Passover holiday for $ 418 in one go (one way)
https://booking.elal.com/booking/flights?market=IL&lang=he

Netanya

Right now elal is. הכי בבית בעולם Because all the planes have to stay home nobody can leave or come in unlike almost every other country

Avrum

Any updates about yom tov sukkos ? will that allow US citizens in?

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