DistantNews
Support us
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Israel /Energy & Infrastructure

Netanyahu says those who interfere with Ben-Gurion Airport operations 'should be fired'

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that individuals disrupting Ben-Gurion Airport operations should be fired following a brief workers' strike.
  • The strike, which lasted about an hour, disrupted travel plans for approximately 100,000 passengers.
  • Political figures criticized the government's management, attributing the chaos to "excessive political appointments and failed management."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong warning against disrupting operations at Ben-Gurion Airport, stating that those who interfere "should be fired." His comments came after a surprise workers' strike concluded, which had halted Israeli air travel for about an hour and affected the plans of roughly 100,000 passengers.

Ben-Gurion Airport will continue to remain open and operate as usual. Whoever stands in the way should be fired.

โ€” Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister's statement on X/Twitter following a workers' strike at the airport.

Netanyahu asserted that the airport "will continue to remain open and operate as usual." Transportation Minister Miri Regev took a firm stance, instructing the Israel Airports Authority management to petition the Labor Court against the workers' union. Regev described the strike as "thug-like, illegal" and vowed that those who made tens of thousands of citizens "hostage" would "pay a heavy price."

action must be taken to halt what she called a 'thug-like, illegal strike,' adding, 'Whoever made the decision to make tens of thousands of Israeli citizens hostage will pay a heavy price.'

โ€” Miri RegevTransportation Minister's statement on the strike.

However, the strike drew sharp criticism from political opponents who blamed the government's management for the disruption. Former Transportation Ministry director-general Keren Terner attributed the strike to "excessive political appointments and failed management" at the government level. She suggested that the situation reflected a normalization of dysfunction, implying that things "don't have to be this way."

Anyone who's stuck right now at Ben Gurion Airport, or in traffic jams, or waiting hours for a bus that never shows up - I want you to know that things don't have to be this way. They've conditioned us to a government that normalizes the idea that nothing can be fixed, but soon it will be different.

โ€” Keren TernerFormer Transportation Ministry director-general's criticism of the government's management.

Gadi Eisenkot, a political figure, echoed these sentiments, linking the airport chaos to the "failed management culture of the Netanyahu government." He characterized the situation as a reflection of "chaos and disorder, lack of management and lack of accountability," and stated that Israeli citizens deserve leadership that takes responsibility and addresses systemic issues effectively.

The chaos at Ben-Gurion Airport on one of the busiest days of the year is not an isolated incident; it is a reflection of the failed management culture of the Netanyahu government - chaos and disorder, lack of management and lack of accountability.

โ€” Gadi EisenkotPolitical figure's assessment of the strike's cause.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.