Treasury and airline labor officials have released an announcement that the strike impacting El Al, Arkia and Israir has ended, about 12 hours before Ben-Gurion International Airport was to be shut down for a four-hour solidarity strike on Tuesday morning, 13 Iyar 5773.

While the Israel airlines strike was open-ended, it was clear to all after the cabinet approved the Open Skies plan in Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting, 11 Iyar 5773 that the airlines would have to find a way to get down off its high ladder. Finance Minister Yair Lapid and others released statements to the media that the deal was signed and it was a matter of fact, calling the strike useless.

The treasury provided the airlines the tools to save face, agreeing the government would undertake financing 97.5% of the cost of security for Israelis airlines as opposed to the original formula of 60%, amounting to about 500 million NIS annually. That amount was to have increased to 80% if the airlines accepted the Open Skies plan, but now the government will undertake the cost of almost all of the security costs.

Histadrut National Labor Federation leader Ofir Eini praised the move, telling the media “finally the government has come to its senses”.

Baruch Hashem the strike is a thing of the past and the many stranded travelers may begin boarding flights to reach their destinations and the many thousands planning to come to Eretz Yisrael for Lag B’Omer will be able to make the trip with Hashem’s assistance.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)