Passengers on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv were put through what one passenger described as “an 11-hour long nightmare” on El Al after ultra-orthodox passengers refused to sit near women and demanded segregation of the sexes in line with their religion. The men in black hats and curly tendrils refused to take their previously selected seats for take off. They then jumped out of their seats and stood in the aisle protesting that women were near them . . . for 11 hours.
The El Al flight on Rosh Hashanah was described as an “11-hour nightmare” as the men continued to try to convince a planeload of people to relocate into segregated zones, even offering money to some to self-segregate. One woman was asked to move from the seat next to her husband.
The men continued to complain loudly and pray in the aisle for the flight, making it impossible for some passengers to use the rest rooms, according to media reports. At least the men did not add the Kapparot to the prayers.
The response (or lack thereof) by El-Al stands in sharp contrast to past cases of disruptions. Indeed, we have often been critical of how passengers are routinely tossed off flights for the slightest acts from telling jokes to wearing objectionable tee-shirts to notebook doodles to challenging a pilot’s sobriety to disagreeing with flight attendants to negative tweets. Muslims have long objected that they have been removed from flights for speaking Arabic, dressing in Muslim garb, or for unknown reasons. However, another airline actually threw off a Jewish boy who was praying on a flight. Yet, this incident did not result in any action taken by El-Al to the chagrin of the other passengers.
What is particularly bizarre is that these men selected their seats and knew that this was not a segregated flight. There is such a thing as chartered flights. Otherwise, you cannot force the rest of the world to comply with your extreme religious views.
Source: Washington Post
“quite obviously they are not equivalent to Muslim fanatics.”
Not at this time. [and likely not ever] but fanaticism starts small and builds upon itself until the original idea or cause, which might have had some merit (or not) becomes subsumed to the fanaticism of forcing others to your will. An idea that metastasizes into a danger to the body whole/society.
Earth Liberation Front is a prime example of fanaticism of an idea of ecological preservation as a worthy goal. They went (figuratively) from composting to bombing 🙂
Gemilut Hasadim, literally meaning “the giving of loving-kindness,” is a fundamental social value in the EVERYDAY lives of Jews. Maybe they needed to be reminded…
Paul – I’m laughing, you are so right. The entire crew must have been frozen in indecision for a very, very long time!
I’ve met a lot of Amish. They have very strict beliefs, and yet they adapt to modern life with loopholes, like hiring “English” drivers, putting telephone booths/party lines outside their houses, etc. Something these Orthodox Jews could learn from . . .
It sounds like this was a planned event, since they selected seats on what they knew to be a non-segregated airline.
Since they disrupted the flight for 11 hours, they should have been ejected. No passenger is allowed to prevent the flight crew from operating, unless it is a medical emergency.
Why is this not “the equivalent of radical Islam?” Well, to state the obvious, they did not kill, torture, rape, behead, or maim anyone.
Fanaticism is unhealthy. But being a health food fanatic, a yoga fanatic, or a Christian or Jewish fanatic can be annoying, but unless it rises to the level of suicide bombing, massive wars across regions, and the murder of anyone believed to be an apostate or non-believer, then no, quite obviously they are not equivalent to Muslim fanatics.
Seriously. If your religion has such strict dictates that you cannot function in the normal world, with other people, you need to completely segregate yourself from the world. A charter flight would have been a fine solution.
You certainly do not have the right to force everyone else to comply with your unreasonable religious strictures. THIS is the main issue that people have with Islam. The idea that everyone else must compromise and conform to THEIR religious strictures. Ridiculous.
Like Curmudgeon said. The equivalent of radical Islam. Fanatics are fanatics whether they are Muslim, Jewish, Code Pink, Global Warming true believers, Tree Hugging Environmentalists or Progressive radicalized leftists.
Israel needs an Ataturk to lop off their stupid sidelocks, take off their stupid clothes, and put them into some blue jeans and work boots.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
The airline should evict any passenger that causes that much of a disruption. Other passengers should not have to suffer their obstructionism.
Darren – it is El Al. What are they to do, oy vay! Face palm follows. Damned if they do, it is religious persecution. Damned if they don’t, it is religious persecution. The ethical turmoil the crew must have been going through must have been enormous. I am sure they are all in therapy.
Let me state, first….. I am an atheist of the Jewish persuasion. My atheism started developing at an early age… 16, and I am now 70. I would have shut the plane down, unloaded these remnants from ‘antiquity’ and left them on the runway, as the plane taxied down that runway to take off without them. Men like this, drove me away from my own religion….. My grand-father, was one of them! Men like these……. are Judaisms own version of the ‘Taliban’…..
Wait – flying on Rosh Hashanah while Orthodox???
Amen–or, OK BFM!
BFM, The problem is zealotry, be it religious or atheistic.
Nick – we do not have Orthodox Jews here in Phoenix. It is too hot to wear those outfits outside. However, I have seen them in NYC and have been fascinated by the regalia required of the men, in particular. That is a dedicated life style choice that I personally would not make. I do not have that kind of discipline. However, I think taking over a plane to make a religious point is going over the edge in this day and age, except that it is El Al, who should be prepared for this type of event. I am surprised it has not happened before on El Al. If they would do it on Allegiant, they would be arrested. 😉
Probable cause. Kosher gefilte fish can cause bad breath?
Well there ya’ go. Those with intense religious feelings whether Christian, Jew or Muslim, really aren’t that different after all – are they?
Maybe they thought the women had cooties. Perfectly reasonable to any 2nd grade boy.
JVal – I went back to my high school reunion and and one of the women was telling me she had a crush on me in the 4th grade and I just seemed to have no time for her. I had to explain to her that in the 4th grade she was covered in cooties and there was no way I was getting near her. 🙂
They should have been arrested in 15 minutes. Absolutely ridiculous.
They wanted attention. Give them a show on TLC and they’ll move on.
Golden shower?
I am taking the Fifth.
I have to take issue with the blocking of the toilets as this become a safety issue. Someone blocks my way to the toilet, they are going to pay for it.
They clearly learned a lesson from the Southwest flight in Phoenix where Muslims raised a ruckus and got deplaned. Southwest ended up paying them. This is the sort of thing that is getting you bad publicity regardless of what you do. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. At least you get the passengers there, standing. And the seated passengers have a little more comfort. 🙂
Jews Behaving Badly. New reality series on FX.