21 oct 2015
Scandinavian airline SAS has decided to suspend its service to Israel, citing political instability as being behind the decision.
"The route to Tel Aviv is expensive to operate and is under tough competition and we do not have sufficient profitability to continue to operate it. We can also see that the political instability affects the route," a spokesman for SAS was quoted by Israeli news outlets as stating.
An Israeli official was quoted by the Yediot Aharonot newspaper as saying that the decision implies that it has become difficult to market for Israel in Scandinavia.
Officials in Israel’s ministry of tourism expressed their disappointment over the decision.
Since the outbreak of the Jerusalem Intifada, waged in response to Israel’s mounting terrorism against Palestinian civilians and al-Aqsa Mosque, Israel’s economy and tourism have seen sharp breakdowns.
Things have gone much worse for the Israeli occupation after calls to boycott Israeli goods have swept the world, trashing Israel’s already-ill famed repute.
"The route to Tel Aviv is expensive to operate and is under tough competition and we do not have sufficient profitability to continue to operate it. We can also see that the political instability affects the route," a spokesman for SAS was quoted by Israeli news outlets as stating.
An Israeli official was quoted by the Yediot Aharonot newspaper as saying that the decision implies that it has become difficult to market for Israel in Scandinavia.
Officials in Israel’s ministry of tourism expressed their disappointment over the decision.
Since the outbreak of the Jerusalem Intifada, waged in response to Israel’s mounting terrorism against Palestinian civilians and al-Aqsa Mosque, Israel’s economy and tourism have seen sharp breakdowns.
Things have gone much worse for the Israeli occupation after calls to boycott Israeli goods have swept the world, trashing Israel’s already-ill famed repute.
7 sept 2015
Smuggled shofars
Judaica importer from Jerusalem caught trying to smuggle citrons and ram's horns into Israel ahead of the High Holy Days.
Customs officers at Ben Gurion Airport have thwarted an attempt to smuggle dozens of etrogs and shofar into the country.
Customs seized over the weekend 40 etrogs (citrons) and 53 shofars (ram's horns), which managed to go unnoticed all the way from Morocco to Israel.
They were hidden in two different suitcases carried by an Israeli citizen in his 50s from Jerusalem. When the man landed in Israel, he went through the green lane - meaning he has no goods to declare. But after he was seen struggling to carry the heavy luggage, he was ordered to put his bags through the x ray scanner in the red lane.
The customs officers were shocked by what they saw. "At first we didn't understand what we were seeing - we thought it might be wooden boards," one of the officers said. "When I opened one of the suitcases I saw dozens of shofars, and in the other one there were etrogs covered in a net that's supposed to protect them." "The man was embarrassed and said he did not know he needed to report these," the customs officer went on to say. "
But after we explained the severity of his offense, he admitted to importing Judaica." Since the man tried to bring the goods into Israel without declaring them, as is required by law, in an attempt to evade paying taxes, the etrogs and shofars were confiscated until the Tax Authority makes a decision on the case. He could face criminal charges, and be made to pay a fine.
A week ago, Ben Gurion Airport customs officers thwarted a smuggling attempt of over 100 etrogs. The Tax Authority stressed that any passenger entering Israel is allowed to bring with him one etrog only, for personal use, and when he enters the country he must present the etrog to representatives of the Agriculture Ministry's Plant Protection and Inspection Services - or to a customs officer - to ensure it is not infected with pests.
If passengers want to bring in more than one etrog, they will need a special permit from the Agriculture Ministry.
Judaica importer from Jerusalem caught trying to smuggle citrons and ram's horns into Israel ahead of the High Holy Days.
Customs officers at Ben Gurion Airport have thwarted an attempt to smuggle dozens of etrogs and shofar into the country.
Customs seized over the weekend 40 etrogs (citrons) and 53 shofars (ram's horns), which managed to go unnoticed all the way from Morocco to Israel.
They were hidden in two different suitcases carried by an Israeli citizen in his 50s from Jerusalem. When the man landed in Israel, he went through the green lane - meaning he has no goods to declare. But after he was seen struggling to carry the heavy luggage, he was ordered to put his bags through the x ray scanner in the red lane.
The customs officers were shocked by what they saw. "At first we didn't understand what we were seeing - we thought it might be wooden boards," one of the officers said. "When I opened one of the suitcases I saw dozens of shofars, and in the other one there were etrogs covered in a net that's supposed to protect them." "The man was embarrassed and said he did not know he needed to report these," the customs officer went on to say. "
But after we explained the severity of his offense, he admitted to importing Judaica." Since the man tried to bring the goods into Israel without declaring them, as is required by law, in an attempt to evade paying taxes, the etrogs and shofars were confiscated until the Tax Authority makes a decision on the case. He could face criminal charges, and be made to pay a fine.
A week ago, Ben Gurion Airport customs officers thwarted a smuggling attempt of over 100 etrogs. The Tax Authority stressed that any passenger entering Israel is allowed to bring with him one etrog only, for personal use, and when he enters the country he must present the etrog to representatives of the Agriculture Ministry's Plant Protection and Inspection Services - or to a customs officer - to ensure it is not infected with pests.
If passengers want to bring in more than one etrog, they will need a special permit from the Agriculture Ministry.
17 aug 2015
After Interior Ministry computer problems cause border control system at Ben Gurion Airport to break down, Israelis were let in without being registered – and now they have to do so independently.
A breakdown in the Interior Ministry's computer system this week, which disabled the border control system at Ben Gurion International Airport for several hours, led to hundreds of Israelis entering the country without their passports being checked, Ynet learned on Sunday.
Thursday saw an all-time record in the number of passengers passing through the airport. When the border control system broke down on Friday, airport staff was forced to work manually, causing massive lines in the passport control area. It took more than three hours for the glitch to be fixed.
When those who entered Israel without being checked called the Interior Ministry on Sunday morning as instructed, they were told they must appear at one of the ministry's offices and report their return to Israel.
"I was told that as far as the authorities are concerned, I'm not in Israel and if something happens to me, national insurance won't compensate me," said Shlomi, a traveler who returned from vacation in Italy.
"It's absurd that because of a problem at the Interior Ministry, I have to waste time and stand in line for hours to get a signature on my passport and so they put me in the system," added the passenger.
While the computer problems lasted for three hours, as the beginning of Shabbat was about to begin, the ministry decided to allow many Israelis to enter the country with manual registration. The absence of electronic registration raised the possibility that citizens wanted for questioning or about whom there was criminal or security-related information could have entered unnoticed.
Based on the number of incoming flights, the number of passengers who entered Israel during this time was more than 1,300. "I was shocked by the situation," said one passenger. "Every now and then a representative selected someone and compared his face to the passport picture, but in most cases they just let people pass without any checks."
The Administration of Border Crossings, Population and Immigration said in a statement: "Passengers who are Israeli citizens and who entered on Friday without their entry being logged, will have to do so independently. That said, we are considering solutions to ease the process for the passgeners and make it more efficient."
A breakdown in the Interior Ministry's computer system this week, which disabled the border control system at Ben Gurion International Airport for several hours, led to hundreds of Israelis entering the country without their passports being checked, Ynet learned on Sunday.
Thursday saw an all-time record in the number of passengers passing through the airport. When the border control system broke down on Friday, airport staff was forced to work manually, causing massive lines in the passport control area. It took more than three hours for the glitch to be fixed.
When those who entered Israel without being checked called the Interior Ministry on Sunday morning as instructed, they were told they must appear at one of the ministry's offices and report their return to Israel.
"I was told that as far as the authorities are concerned, I'm not in Israel and if something happens to me, national insurance won't compensate me," said Shlomi, a traveler who returned from vacation in Italy.
"It's absurd that because of a problem at the Interior Ministry, I have to waste time and stand in line for hours to get a signature on my passport and so they put me in the system," added the passenger.
While the computer problems lasted for three hours, as the beginning of Shabbat was about to begin, the ministry decided to allow many Israelis to enter the country with manual registration. The absence of electronic registration raised the possibility that citizens wanted for questioning or about whom there was criminal or security-related information could have entered unnoticed.
Based on the number of incoming flights, the number of passengers who entered Israel during this time was more than 1,300. "I was shocked by the situation," said one passenger. "Every now and then a representative selected someone and compared his face to the passport picture, but in most cases they just let people pass without any checks."
The Administration of Border Crossings, Population and Immigration said in a statement: "Passengers who are Israeli citizens and who entered on Friday without their entry being logged, will have to do so independently. That said, we are considering solutions to ease the process for the passgeners and make it more efficient."
25 july 2015
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is investigating a complaint Jordan submitted by Jordan against Israel's construction of an airport near Aqaba, a minister said Saturday.
Jordanian minister of transportation Lina Shabib told Jordan’s daily newspaper al-Ghad that the ICAO planned to vote on Jordan's submission.
The new Israeli airport to be called Timna, argued Shabib, is too close to Jordan’s King Hussein international airport -- located in the large coastal city of Aqaba -- possibly effecting aerial frequencies of the regional hub and leading to accidents.
Israel, she added, had continues to build the Timna airport despite Jordan’s vocal opposition to the project. The Jordanian minister highlighted that the country’s foreign and transport ministries would continue to address the issue through relevant international organizations.
In 1994 the two countries signed a peace agreement that included several joint economic and infrastructure projects, one of which was a jointly-operated airport that never came into fruition.Potential for the joint airport fully dissipated when Israel started in 2013 to construct the Timna airport, around 20 kilometers from the Israeli resort city of Eilat, and less than 10 kilometers from Aqaba.
The head of Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, Mohammad Amin Al-Quran, told Israeli media at the time, “When we found out about the location of the new Israeli airport, we realized there was a problem.
"Based on the details we have, the plan does not meet international standards. The distance between the Jordanian international airport in Aqaba and the airport that Israel wants to build is insufficient, and this could endanger planes and passengers on both sides," he added.
Jordanian minister of transportation Lina Shabib told Jordan’s daily newspaper al-Ghad that the ICAO planned to vote on Jordan's submission.
The new Israeli airport to be called Timna, argued Shabib, is too close to Jordan’s King Hussein international airport -- located in the large coastal city of Aqaba -- possibly effecting aerial frequencies of the regional hub and leading to accidents.
Israel, she added, had continues to build the Timna airport despite Jordan’s vocal opposition to the project. The Jordanian minister highlighted that the country’s foreign and transport ministries would continue to address the issue through relevant international organizations.
In 1994 the two countries signed a peace agreement that included several joint economic and infrastructure projects, one of which was a jointly-operated airport that never came into fruition.Potential for the joint airport fully dissipated when Israel started in 2013 to construct the Timna airport, around 20 kilometers from the Israeli resort city of Eilat, and less than 10 kilometers from Aqaba.
The head of Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, Mohammad Amin Al-Quran, told Israeli media at the time, “When we found out about the location of the new Israeli airport, we realized there was a problem.
"Based on the details we have, the plan does not meet international standards. The distance between the Jordanian international airport in Aqaba and the airport that Israel wants to build is insufficient, and this could endanger planes and passengers on both sides," he added.
11 july 2015
Tel Aviv-bound flight conducts nighttime visual approach on the wrong runway, nearly landing on another aircraft waiting to take off; investigation report labels incident 'severe.'
Ben Gurion International Airport was the site of a near-miss last month, when an aircraft almost landed on top of a plane waiting to take off.
On June 18, an Arkia Airlines ATR-72 turboprop took off from Eilat's airport en route to Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv. The aircraft had four crew members and 11 passengers on board. Before landing, the pilot aimed the aircraft's instruments at Ben Gurion's Runway 12, but thanks to the fair weather and visibility conditions at the time, a decision was made to conduct a visual landing approach.
At a distance of about two miles out, the pilot began to lower the flaps in preparation for landing. After aligning himself with the runway, the first officer – sitting in the right seat of the cockpit, radioed that he had established visual contact with the runway, and was coming in for landing. The captain, who was sitting in the left seat, began going over the pre-landing checklist, then raised his head and saw aircraft lights at the end of the planned landing runway.
"The captain began to understand that something was wrong and immediately recognized that they were not aligned with the correct runway, number 12," the investigation report stated. "At the same moment, the tower controllers at Ben Gurion began understanding that the aircraft was lined up with Runway 8 instead of Runway 12," the report continued.
At a distance of 1.5 miles out, the first officer turned the aircraft and began his approach on the correct runway, and landed the plane safely. The tower controllers then reported the incident to the Chief Accident Investigator's office within the Transportation Ministry; the pilots were questioned, the controllers' witness statements were taken, and radio communications recordings were collected. The investigation's report labeled the incident "severe", as a result of the first officer's mistake, as well as a faulty crew briefing within the cockpit: "The offer to land visually at night led to the approach on the wrong runway," the investigator wrote.
"The visual approach to a lit runway, in a lit urban setting, is a challenge to flight crews, and has led to safety incidents in the past. The chances of mixing up between runway 12 and runway 8 when conducting a southern approach to runway 12 are significant. Increasing awareness of the issue, with both pilots and controllers, will help prevent repeating similar incidents in the future."
Arkia offered in response that; "The flight crew immediately noticed the directional error, remaining in constant contact with tower controllers, who also noticed the error, and continued to safely land the aircraft on the correct runway. At no point was any danger or damage present."
Ben Gurion International Airport was the site of a near-miss last month, when an aircraft almost landed on top of a plane waiting to take off.
On June 18, an Arkia Airlines ATR-72 turboprop took off from Eilat's airport en route to Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv. The aircraft had four crew members and 11 passengers on board. Before landing, the pilot aimed the aircraft's instruments at Ben Gurion's Runway 12, but thanks to the fair weather and visibility conditions at the time, a decision was made to conduct a visual landing approach.
At a distance of about two miles out, the pilot began to lower the flaps in preparation for landing. After aligning himself with the runway, the first officer – sitting in the right seat of the cockpit, radioed that he had established visual contact with the runway, and was coming in for landing. The captain, who was sitting in the left seat, began going over the pre-landing checklist, then raised his head and saw aircraft lights at the end of the planned landing runway.
"The captain began to understand that something was wrong and immediately recognized that they were not aligned with the correct runway, number 12," the investigation report stated. "At the same moment, the tower controllers at Ben Gurion began understanding that the aircraft was lined up with Runway 8 instead of Runway 12," the report continued.
At a distance of 1.5 miles out, the first officer turned the aircraft and began his approach on the correct runway, and landed the plane safely. The tower controllers then reported the incident to the Chief Accident Investigator's office within the Transportation Ministry; the pilots were questioned, the controllers' witness statements were taken, and radio communications recordings were collected. The investigation's report labeled the incident "severe", as a result of the first officer's mistake, as well as a faulty crew briefing within the cockpit: "The offer to land visually at night led to the approach on the wrong runway," the investigator wrote.
"The visual approach to a lit runway, in a lit urban setting, is a challenge to flight crews, and has led to safety incidents in the past. The chances of mixing up between runway 12 and runway 8 when conducting a southern approach to runway 12 are significant. Increasing awareness of the issue, with both pilots and controllers, will help prevent repeating similar incidents in the future."
Arkia offered in response that; "The flight crew immediately noticed the directional error, remaining in constant contact with tower controllers, who also noticed the error, and continued to safely land the aircraft on the correct runway. At no point was any danger or damage present."
26 may 2015
Airports Authority fires 5 employees after internal investigation finds they stole tobacco from Palestinians going through security at the border crossing; Authority criticized for not filing police complaint.
Five Israel Airports Authority security employees were caught stealing from Palestinians who were entering Israel from Jordan through the Allenby Bridge border crossing, Ynet learned on Tuesday.
They were fired following an internal investigation, but the Authority did not file a complaint with the police against them. "The Authority decided to take the law into its own hands," one of the crossing's employees said. The Israel Airports Authority launched an internal investigation in February following complaints on theft from Palestinians who underwent security checks at the crossing.
The five employees admitted that they stole from Palestinians going through the border crossing over a long period of time, saying they took tobacco and other personal items. The theft occurred while the Palestinians placed their luggage at the baggage screening machine. Despite the severity of the security employees' actions, the Israel Airports Authority did not turn to the police, nor did it file complaints against them.
"This is not the first time the Airports Authority fails to pass criminal cases to the police's handling and instead chooses to take the law into its own hands," a source at the border crossing said. "In such a case, when such serious harm was caused to the Palestinians, the police must be involved. I guess since these are Palestinians, the Authority did not consider this very grave."
The Allenby Bridge border crossing is the most southern crossing on the Jordan River and serves the Palestinian population and tourists, as Israelis are not allowed to go through the crossing. In addition, goods going between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan also go through the border crossing.
The Israel Airports Authority said in response that "a probe done by the Airports Authority found that five employees of a private contractor took tobacco from the travelers' bags. The Authority conducted a comprehensive examination with the employees, and their employment was terminated after it was discovered they took tobacco during security checks of the travelers' luggage and took it out of the terminal for their private use."
The Authority said it views the case gravely, "and is initiating action to prevent such phenomena, and does not show leniency on ethical issues."
Five Israel Airports Authority security employees were caught stealing from Palestinians who were entering Israel from Jordan through the Allenby Bridge border crossing, Ynet learned on Tuesday.
They were fired following an internal investigation, but the Authority did not file a complaint with the police against them. "The Authority decided to take the law into its own hands," one of the crossing's employees said. The Israel Airports Authority launched an internal investigation in February following complaints on theft from Palestinians who underwent security checks at the crossing.
The five employees admitted that they stole from Palestinians going through the border crossing over a long period of time, saying they took tobacco and other personal items. The theft occurred while the Palestinians placed their luggage at the baggage screening machine. Despite the severity of the security employees' actions, the Israel Airports Authority did not turn to the police, nor did it file complaints against them.
"This is not the first time the Airports Authority fails to pass criminal cases to the police's handling and instead chooses to take the law into its own hands," a source at the border crossing said. "In such a case, when such serious harm was caused to the Palestinians, the police must be involved. I guess since these are Palestinians, the Authority did not consider this very grave."
The Allenby Bridge border crossing is the most southern crossing on the Jordan River and serves the Palestinian population and tourists, as Israelis are not allowed to go through the crossing. In addition, goods going between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan also go through the border crossing.
The Israel Airports Authority said in response that "a probe done by the Airports Authority found that five employees of a private contractor took tobacco from the travelers' bags. The Authority conducted a comprehensive examination with the employees, and their employment was terminated after it was discovered they took tobacco during security checks of the travelers' luggage and took it out of the terminal for their private use."
The Authority said it views the case gravely, "and is initiating action to prevent such phenomena, and does not show leniency on ethical issues."
Portuguese airline EuroAtlantic claims Israeli company owes it 'tens of millions of euros' in a 7-year-old debt; Israir says legal proceedings in dispute are still ongoing and was 'very surprised' of the seizure.
An Israir Airlines plane was confiscated in Lisbon on Monday night following a claim by EuroAtlantic Airways that the Israeli company owes "tens of millions of euros".
Sources told Ynet that the seizure of the plane led to the cancellation of a flight from Eilat to central Israel, leaving dozens of Israelis stranded in the southern city. The timing was unfortunate for Israir, which saw another one of its planes make an emergency landing earlier in the day because of a faulty engine.
According to Portuguese media, EuroAtlantic CEO Tomaz Metello confirmed that the seizure had occurred because of past debts. Mettelo claimed that a court ruled in favor of his company in December regarding an alleged seven-year-old debt.
"Despite the ruling, they did not pay, and that is why we seized the plane," Mettelo was quoted as saying.
According to Portuguese media, the confiscated plane is an Airbus A320. Because two of Israir's six planes are currently out of commission, Israir flight 6H42 from Eilat to Ben-Gurion Airport was cancelled on Monday night. Israir CEO Uri Sirkis told Ynet the company was surprised by the Portuguese move.
"This is a story that started almost eight years ago, when we leased a plane from EuroAtlantic for flights to the US. A month later we returned the plane for different reasons," said Sirkis, who was headed to Portugal Tuesday. "The company sued Israir at court and the suit was rejected. EuroAtlantic did not give up and appealed to the Supreme Court in Portugal that decided last December that Israir needed to compensate EuroAtlantic - a decision we appealed," he added.
"The legal proceedings are still ongoing so we were very surprised when EuroAtlantic decided to make such an extreme and violent move and seize the plane," Sirkis went on to say. "This morning, when the plane landed, it was confiscated as soon as the passengers alighted. We put our passengers in hotels and some we flew home last night."
Sirkis went on to say that Israir contacted the Portuguese Tourism Ministry, and involved the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Portuguese Embassy. "We used all possible channels, including the Foreign Ministry, Portugal's Embassy in Israel and Israel's Embassy in Portugal, but the Portuguese insist," he said.
"The passengers come first, and hurting the passengers and seizing a plane on their expense is an unacceptable move in this field. We will deal with it in a way that causes the less damage to the passengers as possible."
Israir stated that the company was required to pay some 2 million euro to EuroAtlantic, "Israir allocated the said sum in its books in 2014 and even made preparations concerning cash flow. It should be made clear that the reason the plane was detained was not a financial operational debt to the Airport Authority in Lisbon or its providers."
An Israir Airlines plane was confiscated in Lisbon on Monday night following a claim by EuroAtlantic Airways that the Israeli company owes "tens of millions of euros".
Sources told Ynet that the seizure of the plane led to the cancellation of a flight from Eilat to central Israel, leaving dozens of Israelis stranded in the southern city. The timing was unfortunate for Israir, which saw another one of its planes make an emergency landing earlier in the day because of a faulty engine.
According to Portuguese media, EuroAtlantic CEO Tomaz Metello confirmed that the seizure had occurred because of past debts. Mettelo claimed that a court ruled in favor of his company in December regarding an alleged seven-year-old debt.
"Despite the ruling, they did not pay, and that is why we seized the plane," Mettelo was quoted as saying.
According to Portuguese media, the confiscated plane is an Airbus A320. Because two of Israir's six planes are currently out of commission, Israir flight 6H42 from Eilat to Ben-Gurion Airport was cancelled on Monday night. Israir CEO Uri Sirkis told Ynet the company was surprised by the Portuguese move.
"This is a story that started almost eight years ago, when we leased a plane from EuroAtlantic for flights to the US. A month later we returned the plane for different reasons," said Sirkis, who was headed to Portugal Tuesday. "The company sued Israir at court and the suit was rejected. EuroAtlantic did not give up and appealed to the Supreme Court in Portugal that decided last December that Israir needed to compensate EuroAtlantic - a decision we appealed," he added.
"The legal proceedings are still ongoing so we were very surprised when EuroAtlantic decided to make such an extreme and violent move and seize the plane," Sirkis went on to say. "This morning, when the plane landed, it was confiscated as soon as the passengers alighted. We put our passengers in hotels and some we flew home last night."
Sirkis went on to say that Israir contacted the Portuguese Tourism Ministry, and involved the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Portuguese Embassy. "We used all possible channels, including the Foreign Ministry, Portugal's Embassy in Israel and Israel's Embassy in Portugal, but the Portuguese insist," he said.
"The passengers come first, and hurting the passengers and seizing a plane on their expense is an unacceptable move in this field. We will deal with it in a way that causes the less damage to the passengers as possible."
Israir stated that the company was required to pay some 2 million euro to EuroAtlantic, "Israir allocated the said sum in its books in 2014 and even made preparations concerning cash flow. It should be made clear that the reason the plane was detained was not a financial operational debt to the Airport Authority in Lisbon or its providers."
25 may 2015
Engine fails on flight to Eilat just after takeoff; third Israeli aircraft to experience technical issues in the last month.
A commercial airliner made an emergency landing Monday afternoon at Ben Gurion International Airport after experiencing technical issues during takeoff from Sde Dov airport in north Tel Aviv.
Some 80 passengers were on the Israir flight to Eilat. One of those passengers, Sharon, told Ynet, "The captain informed us that one engine was dead and the second motor was working normally and that we were preparing for an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport. The plane started turning and going in circles over the sea while the stewardesses started emergency protocols, explaining to us what to do in these kinds of landings and how to sit and bend over in the plane.
"There were lots of children who cried and they panicked, but the atmosphere was mostly OK." The passengers exited the plane at Ben Gurion and waited for a replacement aircraft to make the trip to Eilat. The incident was the second such technical emergency in under a week. On Thursday, another Israir flight took off from Eilat with a motor problem and made a safe emergency landing. An El Al flight arriving in Ben Gurion experienced similar circumstances in April, but again, the landing was successful and all 174 passengers were accounted for.
A commercial airliner made an emergency landing Monday afternoon at Ben Gurion International Airport after experiencing technical issues during takeoff from Sde Dov airport in north Tel Aviv.
Some 80 passengers were on the Israir flight to Eilat. One of those passengers, Sharon, told Ynet, "The captain informed us that one engine was dead and the second motor was working normally and that we were preparing for an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport. The plane started turning and going in circles over the sea while the stewardesses started emergency protocols, explaining to us what to do in these kinds of landings and how to sit and bend over in the plane.
"There were lots of children who cried and they panicked, but the atmosphere was mostly OK." The passengers exited the plane at Ben Gurion and waited for a replacement aircraft to make the trip to Eilat. The incident was the second such technical emergency in under a week. On Thursday, another Israir flight took off from Eilat with a motor problem and made a safe emergency landing. An El Al flight arriving in Ben Gurion experienced similar circumstances in April, but again, the landing was successful and all 174 passengers were accounted for.
19 may 2015
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Suspicious package from Turkey contained rings bearing messages in support of ISIS; jewelry was headed for Ramallah.
A package was intercepted two weeks ago by customs employees at Ben Gurion International Airport, containing some 120 rings that bore Arabic messages connected to the Islamic State organization that remains a military threat in both Iraq and Syria. The rings made of silver were produced in Turkey and ordered by an importer in Ramallah. Customs officials announced that they will be destroyed sometime in the next few days. "The thought that there are people who affiliate themselves with a murderous agenda like ISIS is simply shocking," said a source in customs. |
The package that arrived from Turkey was already marked as suspicious upon arrival in Israel. A custom employee explained in a conversation with Ynet on Tuesday that when a package arrives destined for the West Bank, it's checked according to strict procedures. "Everything that comes for the Palestinian Authority is put through a security check," said customs. The package first passed through an x-ray machine and appeared to be fine.
Then one of the custom employees who is well-versed in Arabic, saw what was written on the rings and voiced his shock. "We immediately passed it to the security department," said an employee. "Although the importer declared the items as rings, it's considered to be incitement. We're talking about a Palestinian civilian and we have no right to open an investigation so we sent him a letter that the items would be destroyed and he has 30 days to appeal. Of course we also informed security forces and the Shin Bet immediately."
Although this package only contained rings, customs said Tuesday that they feel satisfied with their work. "A large number of rings mean that there are buyers. It's scary and shocking to know that in the lands of the Palestinian Authority there are those who support that murderous organization. And who knows? Maybe with our help they'll discover a cell or ideological organization of ISIS," said a customs security employee.
Comment: Noor Abu-Mahdi Actually, the rings DO NOT mention any support of Isis, and have nothing to do with Isis. it says on the ring Mohammad, messenger of Allah. This was the actual signature of the Prophet Mohammad, and is an Islamic symbol from hundreds of years ago that Isis use claiming they are religious. So if a terrorist adopts a verse from the Torah as their symbol or wears the Star of David, does this make anyone else who uses that or wears a Star of David a terrorist? This design is known as the seal of the prophet and is located in museums and has nothing to do with Isi.s The agent and writer of this article semn like they just want to affiliate palestinians with Isis and label them as supporters.
Then one of the custom employees who is well-versed in Arabic, saw what was written on the rings and voiced his shock. "We immediately passed it to the security department," said an employee. "Although the importer declared the items as rings, it's considered to be incitement. We're talking about a Palestinian civilian and we have no right to open an investigation so we sent him a letter that the items would be destroyed and he has 30 days to appeal. Of course we also informed security forces and the Shin Bet immediately."
Although this package only contained rings, customs said Tuesday that they feel satisfied with their work. "A large number of rings mean that there are buyers. It's scary and shocking to know that in the lands of the Palestinian Authority there are those who support that murderous organization. And who knows? Maybe with our help they'll discover a cell or ideological organization of ISIS," said a customs security employee.
Comment: Noor Abu-Mahdi Actually, the rings DO NOT mention any support of Isis, and have nothing to do with Isis. it says on the ring Mohammad, messenger of Allah. This was the actual signature of the Prophet Mohammad, and is an Islamic symbol from hundreds of years ago that Isis use claiming they are religious. So if a terrorist adopts a verse from the Torah as their symbol or wears the Star of David, does this make anyone else who uses that or wears a Star of David a terrorist? This design is known as the seal of the prophet and is located in museums and has nothing to do with Isi.s The agent and writer of this article semn like they just want to affiliate palestinians with Isis and label them as supporters.
22 feb 2015
Heated argument over tax-free chocolate breaks out on Israir flight to Verona; passengers threaten flight attendants who shared video of incident on Facebook.
An Israeli passenger on an Israir flight to Verona verbally attacked a flight attendant during an argument that broke out over the purchase of tax-free chocolate on the plane.
When the argument got heated, the passenger's sister came to her aid, and swore at the flight attendant. Later, another relative got up from his seat, swore at the flight attendant and threatened to hit him. "You're my employee, I paid for a flight ticket and you'll sell me the chocolate," the passenger told the flight attendant, who was busy with another passenger, while other passengers around her tried to calm her down.
Seconds later she was joined by a woman who identified as her sister, who hurled abuse at the flight attendant: "You piece of trash! Don't look at me!" The sister later repeated the same insults and added, "I'll steal the chocolate from you!" At this point, another passenger joined the argument, likely another relative, who got up from his seat suddenly, saying: "I don't give a f*** about you, you a**hole!" and adding further abuse.
When the plane landed in Verona, the flight crew contacted the police to report the attack, but no measures were taken against the passengers. A video documenting the argument was posted on Facebook on Saturday night after first circulating in different forums of Israeli flight attendants. The Israeli flight attendants expressed outrage and shock at the incident, and asked to add that the violence seen in the video is not uncommon and that they encounter such attacks on quite a few flights. "It took me a few minutes to take in what I saw in this video and I'm still in shock things like that actually happen.
So to anyone who asked 'what's so difficult about being a flight attendant', there you go," one flight attendant wrote. After the video was posted on Facebook, several of the flight attendants who uploaded or shared the video received threats from members of the family featured in the video, saying if the video is not removed they will turn to the police to complain about the flight attendants. Ynet received messages sent by the passenger who started the argument in which she writes to the person who uploaded the video: "You ruined my life." The flight attendant in the video declined to respond.
Israir said in response: "The phenomenon of passenger violence against the flight crew is only increasing. It's even stated in a report by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Our job is to do whatever possible to put a stop to this phenomenon primarily for the safety of the passengers and equipment. The video uploaded to the web was filmed by one of the passengers who shared with all of us the type of experience that needs to be cut off at the root. Israir is doing and will continue doing anything to ensure a high and strict level of safety and security."
An Israeli passenger on an Israir flight to Verona verbally attacked a flight attendant during an argument that broke out over the purchase of tax-free chocolate on the plane.
When the argument got heated, the passenger's sister came to her aid, and swore at the flight attendant. Later, another relative got up from his seat, swore at the flight attendant and threatened to hit him. "You're my employee, I paid for a flight ticket and you'll sell me the chocolate," the passenger told the flight attendant, who was busy with another passenger, while other passengers around her tried to calm her down.
Seconds later she was joined by a woman who identified as her sister, who hurled abuse at the flight attendant: "You piece of trash! Don't look at me!" The sister later repeated the same insults and added, "I'll steal the chocolate from you!" At this point, another passenger joined the argument, likely another relative, who got up from his seat suddenly, saying: "I don't give a f*** about you, you a**hole!" and adding further abuse.
When the plane landed in Verona, the flight crew contacted the police to report the attack, but no measures were taken against the passengers. A video documenting the argument was posted on Facebook on Saturday night after first circulating in different forums of Israeli flight attendants. The Israeli flight attendants expressed outrage and shock at the incident, and asked to add that the violence seen in the video is not uncommon and that they encounter such attacks on quite a few flights. "It took me a few minutes to take in what I saw in this video and I'm still in shock things like that actually happen.
So to anyone who asked 'what's so difficult about being a flight attendant', there you go," one flight attendant wrote. After the video was posted on Facebook, several of the flight attendants who uploaded or shared the video received threats from members of the family featured in the video, saying if the video is not removed they will turn to the police to complain about the flight attendants. Ynet received messages sent by the passenger who started the argument in which she writes to the person who uploaded the video: "You ruined my life." The flight attendant in the video declined to respond.
Israir said in response: "The phenomenon of passenger violence against the flight crew is only increasing. It's even stated in a report by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Our job is to do whatever possible to put a stop to this phenomenon primarily for the safety of the passengers and equipment. The video uploaded to the web was filmed by one of the passengers who shared with all of us the type of experience that needs to be cut off at the root. Israir is doing and will continue doing anything to ensure a high and strict level of safety and security."
