In Israel, Saturday is a day of rest. Sabbath rest in Judaism extends from Friday evening to Saturday evening and has been valid nationwide in Israel since the founding of the state. This means, among other things: no public transport, no trains, no buses and EL AL, Israel’s national airline, which does not fly.
Until now, because, due to the attack on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas last Saturday October 7, Israel is at war, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained. Since then, the Israeli army has been the most mobilized since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, with around 360,000 reserve soldiers, also from abroad.
According to the Times of Israel newspaper, EL AL is breaking its policy to bring home Israelis living abroad. The airline is therefore planning two flights from Bangkok this Saturday, October 14, as well as one from New York and one from Madrid, to transport reserve soldiers to Tel Aviv.
Flights are free for soldiers and paid for by EL AL and major U.S. financial institutions, the airline said. Recall that, to date, many international airlines have suspended their flights to Israel.
