The conflict surrounding the disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport is intensifying. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the Likud party, represented by attorney Ilan Bombach, seeking to terminate the membership of Pinchas Idan, the chairman of the Israel Airports Authority workers' committee, from the party. The petition follows a wildcat strike by baggage handlers that resulted in flight cancellations and significant delays. The petition alleges that this was a political strike directed against the Likud government and that, under party bylaws, such activity constitutes grounds for expulsion. The pleading emphasizes that this is a repeated incident following prior warnings, necessitating the termination of Idan’s party membership.
In response, Pinchas Idan addressed a letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Miri Regev, categorically rejecting the accusations. Idan asserts that no strike was declared, no work-to-rule action took place, and no wage demands were made. According to his version, the events resulted from the physical exhaustion of the baggage handling staff following weeks of inhumane workloads and staffing shortages, with employees forced to work 13-hour shifts consecutively. Idan stated in his letter that full responsibility for closing check-in counters lies with the Israel Airports Authority management, which he claims made the scandalous decision to halt operations rather than address the staffing crisis. It was further claimed that workers did not abandon their posts but reached a point where their bodies could not continue beyond nine-hour shifts.
Idan has called for the immediate intervention of the Minister of Transport and the Prime Minister to formulate an emergency recruitment plan, warning that without a fundamental solution, the expected pressure during the upcoming High Holy Days could lead to further operational failure. Legal experts note that the distinction between an organized political strike and an operational collapse could be critical in potential future tort claims regarding unlawful work stoppages. All claims in this matter have yet to be adjudicated by judicial authorities.