Since the Hamas assault began on Shabbos/Simchas Torah, Israelis who were overseas at the time have been clamoring to return to Israel to help protect their country.
Israeli Air Force cargo planes were sent to Europe to bring back hundreds of IDF soldiers who were abroad when the war broke out. But in other places, such as in NY, soldiers had to fund their own flights home.
But the Israelis at JFK airport received a surprise when a Chareidi man showed up and funded about 250 flights for IDF soldiers. Whoever showed him a Tzav 8 recruitment order received the money for a flight back to Israel. He also filled the plane with dozens of duffel bags filled with equipment and supplies for IDF soldiers.
A senior El Al official said: “A Chareidi man with a credit card worth half a million dollars arrived at JFK yesterday and quietly stood in the corner. He brought a ticket for anyone who showed him a Tzav 8.”
“He paid for 250 plane tickets and requested to remain anonymous. The photo is of bags of donations to the army – equipment for soldiers.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
13 Responses
Is it 250 flights like it says in the title of the article or is it 250 tickets as it says at the end of the article?
There is no other like our nation!
@rebmoish flights here means the flight of a person not of a plane – so 250 flights means 250 plane fares. Still amazing.
Can anyone explain how ELAL the official airline of Israel does not provide free flights to soldiers heading home to fight?
Who owns ELAL? This is dispicable behavior.
Kuvolt:
I was gonna ask same question .
Elal had largest profit income last two quarters why does a stranger need to pay to protect your country you flying to ? If you Chas veshulem loose many more soldiers Elal has no country to fly to. It’s in Elal interest to bring home as many soldiers that are willing to fight for your origin country .
This stranger will be able to donate his $$$ to the families who lost their parents .
The iranians give hamas like 1b usd and the qataris 500 mil usd annually
@kuvult el al offers lots of things, but it cannot operate on fresh air. the idf called up 600,000 reservists, some of whom are outside the country. those who could afford to fly to new york can use the second part of their ticket to fly home.
DID YOU HEAR AND READ THIS TEL AVIV, SECULAR JEWS, DID YOU READ THIS….how many hands have put their hand into their pockets, how many scooter no job liberal hero’s will give a nickel to a cause, well I do so hope this changes because the ones giving are all CHARDEIM
@kuvult ElAl was privatized years ago. The primary owner is a frum guy from Monsey.
They are offering return flights for soldiers.for $250, which is not profitable. This is why I wonder why this guy spent $1000 per ticket.
Has anyone validated this story? There are no reports from people in Israel or chayalim who returned.
Kuvult, El Al is a business, not a charity; how can it afford to give away so many free tickets?
I don’t know what you mean by “official airline”; in what sense is it “official”?
I don’t remember the owner’s name, but it’s very easily found; the name was reported here on YWN when he bought it.
El Al is not “the official airline of Israel”. It is a commercial airline that has to maintain its planes, pay for fuel, remunerate its staff etc. etc. The question is why the Isreali Government doesn’t pay. If Israeli Air Force cargo planes were sent to Europe to bring back hundreds of IDF soldiers who were abroad when the war broke out. why is it that in other places, such as in NY, soldiers had to fund their own flights home? The Yid who paid for these tickets is a great baal tzedoka and baal chessed.
Kuvult: I had the same question, especially since the flights for IDF personnel from Europe back to EY were free.
A controlling stake in the airline was purchase by the Rozenberg family with loan guarantees from the Israeli government
@Kuvult
ELAL is a private company now, only 15% owned by Israeli government. So, the company has to answer to business goals (make money), not political considerations