The secretary of the Vaad Shmiras Shabbos, Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknoff, announced on Sunday morning 10 Kislev, that if an El Al plane was mechalel Shabbos by leaving Athens, then sanctions may be in order.
Rav Goldknoff was speaking with Kol Berama Radio and said a meeting would take place between vaad members and representatives of El Al later in the week. The meeting will provide a forum for El Al officials to expand on reports to determine if the plane that landed in Athens before Shabbos took off for Israel later, during Shabbos.
The rav explained that the vaad has a signed agreement with El Al, and if the airline violated the agreement, the rabbonim may decide that sanctions are in order.
Rav Goldknoff added that a representative of El Al remained in touch with him on erev Shabbos until shortly before Shabbos. Regarding another flight that continued to Israel and landed on Shabbos, the rabbi confirmed there was a situation of Pikuach Nefesh and they continued to Israel after Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita gave a psak halacha to do just that.
As YWN reported in 2007, the Chareidi community around the world boycotted El Al after the airline was Michallel Shabbos. Gedolim around the world signed a Kol Koreh and thousands cancelled their tickets. The boycott was lifted after they promised never to fly on Shabbos again.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
Reminds me of when Bedatz threatened to take their hechsher off Pepsi Cola if they didn’t cancel the upcoming ‘Pepsi advertised’ Michael Jackson concert that would cause chillul shabbos. Media and Chilonim in Israel rallied around Pepsi and told them not to give in to haredi ‘blackmail’ .They had the concert, Badatz took away their hechsher and within two weeks- after a 40% drop in sales of Pepsi, they came crawling back to badatz begging and apologising and undertaking huge fines if they ever did such a thing again…..
What idiots- what were they thinking? – Who do you think drinks Pepsi? – The Haredim -on shabbos!!!!
A boycot on ElAl will teach them a solid lesson……
Yes. They lost 1 million dollars a day last boycott. Some people never learn. Like Achan.
Teach them what kind of lesson?
El Al travelers also drink Coke.
What bothers me the most is how they lied to the passengers and told them to be seated and they will allow them to disembark . Meanwhile they took off!?! That’s horrendous!! Inexcusable! That pilot should be fired and people should boycott EL AL!