A chareidi resident of Beit Shemesh was responsible for turbulence on an international El Al flight. According to airline officials, the incident began when the flight was airing the movie “Truth” starring Robert Redford, which the man said was immodest and should not be shown.
Flight crew radioed ahead to report the 34-year-old man was creating a disturbance, and he was detained when the plane touched base in Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Flight officials state the chareidi man assaulted some of them during the flight, which was heading to Poland. When questioned by police, the suspect explained the film lacked tznius and it should not have been shown.
According to the report, at least one passenger was assaulted by the man as well as he tried to restrain him.
El Al officials explain such behavior cannot and will not be tolerated on flights and the behavior of this passenger compelled them to summon police.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
Old news
he should be sentenced to 3 years in the army
This made it to all the secular news sites. Yup, kiddush Hashem at it’s finest.
ElAl flies more than its share of Charadim and religious people. Why can’t they be sensitive to the needs of religious public?
This also does not excuse the fellow’s conduct but still sensitivity goes both ways.
It’s high time someone spoke up about these films on the plane – why can’t they show the news. The chareidim bochurim Seminary kids should not have to be exposed to this
Commentator #2. What can possibly be hurting you so much that you chose a username such as you did?? I feel so bad for you for the hurt that would cause you to do this. Please please don’t think I’m blaming you- I’m sure whatever you went through wasn’t easy at all. I just ask of you from one Yid to another to please reconsider your username as you are part of a beautiful people who loves you Dearly! Please know and understand that the 613 is what keeps us so special and anything that is not so special amongst our people stems from not following the 613! I would like to end off this comment wishing you and yours a Good Shabbos!!!;
I vote for 3 years in the army, along with those who attacked the soldier in meah shearim
4 & 5, the Torah does not dictate destruction of property & chilul HASHEM when inappropriate films are shown. Ask for blindfolds instead!
It is a Kiddush Hashem when someone makes a statement about an inappropriate movie. We tend to sit by and do nothing. But we must act. But obviously not in a way that gets physical.
The chilul Hashem is seeing the charedim watching the inappropriate movies. Makes me crazy. And its really not uncommon, sadly.
Unfortunately there is no simple solution to this. There are no kosher movies. Only Mr Bean and Ushpizin but how many times can we expect our secular brothers to sit through this?
We need to consider other forms of entertainment that will keep everyone happy. Perhaps more news, sport. cultural documentaries.
Or am I just dreaming….
No one is forced to watch any movie on a plane. The modern entertainment systems offer plenty of channels and individual screens for each passenger.
This nut job was trying to impose his standards on other people, something he has no right to do.
What if the situation was reversed and a secular person caused a disturbance because a religious film was available?
Gilda, yes some of those films have dirty scenes, which are inappropriate for us of all ages- no doubt. Many chareidim and yeshivish people won’t even accept a tznious picture of a Rebbetzin Scholar-in-residence for a Pesach program advertisement in a Jewish newspaper- so certainly the secular news channels would prove to be an issue too.
Immodest films on planes are no different than exposing passengers to poison or cigarette smoke. What would they do if a passenger is highly allergic to peanuts; would they still distribute them and allow the passenger to phase out?
I guess this guy checked off “kosher” on the food request, but by mistake checked “non-kosher” on the movie request.
I also agree with people here. It’s one thing if the movies are at each seat, and then each person can watch what he or she wants. But if the movies are central, then it would be appropriate to only screen movies that are G or PG.
To Gilda — airlines know the following — the more the passengers like the movies, the fewer passengers you have kvetching about this or that to the stewardesses. If you put up news, most people would shut it off, and then find something to kvetch about. So usually, the movies work as an important “baby-sitter” on the airlines. Of course here it seriously backfired, but I think you can understand why they don’t intentionally put up stuff that most people would find boring.
Chjewess
You obviously have no clue what is kiddush hashem & what is not. So keep your comments to yourself. None of us were on this airplane so we don’t know what really happened. I’m sure a lot of details are missing & its misrepresented in some way. This is media.
Airlines can be very inconsiderate. If there is one huge screen then there should not be inappropriate movies especially if there’s children there! How is that allowed? That of course does not mean to assault people- that is crossing a line. But I definitely understand the anger when a horrible movie is playing in front of your face
Somethingtosay, yes it’s unfortunate that Frum people succumb to inappropriate entertainment. And how do you feel about all those idling cars with the person in the drivers seat glued to their phones. It’s probably not a long email!
Take out a Chumash and learn instead or sleep rather than make a chillul Hashem no one has to know abt ir
Everyone who jumped on theoutrage bandwagon against “immodesty” might want to have a quick look what this particular film is about. If any film should be judged on “modesty”, this would be near the top of the list. It’s about a news reporter who was accused of inaccurate reporting about the President, Not for nothing, the movie b9mbed despite a superb cast.
There is nothing in this movie to titillate, to excite, to arouse inappropriate curiosity or thoughts. This film is as dry as an overcooked turkey.
Anyone who doesn’t care for dry turkey – whether onreligious or artistic grounds – has the option of turning their eyes away.