Chaos continued today (Thursday) at Ben Gurion Airport following a strike by ground crew workers that led to severe delays and long lines at the terminal. Among those stranded was Yuval, who lives in Spain and was supposed to fly out at 4 p.m., but says he can’t get through because of problems checking luggage.
1+“I can’t get through—I have suitcases, and I can’t send them. They’re only letting people through with backpacks, and I have no idea what to do with my luggage. Where am I supposed to leave it?” he said. When he tried to get answers, he was essentially told to figure it out himself. “I don’t live in Israel, I live in Spain, and they’re telling me ‘go look for a solution.’ That’s what there is.”
Yuval said he’s been waiting in lines at the airport since early afternoon, trying to figure out how he’ll make his flight. “I’ve been in line since around 1 p.m.; I’ve been going back and forth here, and I need to figure out what I’m supposed to do. I’m stuck—and it’s not just me; it’s the entire airport. It’s insane,” he said.
1+Yuval also sharply criticized the workers’ committee and described scenes at the terminal: “They destroyed an entire country. People here with small children crying, no water, pregnant women, no room to move, and in the end they tell you that you can’t travel with your suitcases.”
He said he even offered to leave his luggage behind and continue to his flight without it, but that option was also rejected. “I told them I’d leave the suitcases with them and send them to me tomorrow. They said no, it’s not possible.”