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Ben Gurion airport shutdowns leave already disrupted passengers desperate
Disruptions to air travel have become the new normal in post-October 7 Israel, locked in military conflict on multiple fronts. But the current war with Iran has brought the battle for commercial airspace to new heights, with prolonged service cancellations leaving would-be passengers stranded — and with a growing sense that they’ve been left to figure things out on their own.
The decision to launch pre-emptive strikes just before Passover has left people hoped to fly to join family — in Israel or elsewhere — with dashed hopes for the holiday. They include thousands of gap-year students — many studying in Orthodox yeshivot and seminaries — who were planning to fly home and have been left with unusable tickets.
As Israel has battled Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran since October 2023, foreign carriers have repeatedly suspended and resumed service as security conditions shifted, leaving travelers with limited options and soaring ticket prices.
Israel’s flagship airline, El Al, has been among the only carriers to continue flying consistently, earning praise for getting reserve soldiers home while also facing criticism, including accusations of price gouging and a class-action lawsuit alleging it took advantage of limited competition.
Now Ben Gurion is allowing only extremely limited passenger travel. Meanwhile, just days into what the U.S. Embassy had announced as a “historic partnership” with El Al to operate nonstop flights to the United States for Americans, priced at $900 for economy and $2,000 for premium seats, those have also come to a sudden halt.
As of March 19, El Al said it was suspending repatriation flights “for the foreseeable future,” after shrapnel hit private planes, and the State Department said it “does not anticipate arranging additional charter flights from Israel.”
As flights were canceled and rebooked, then canceled again, official information became as valuable as a plane seat itself — and just as rare. Travelers began sharing updates — airline messages, rumors of available flights and alternate routes — across text chains and social media. One Facebook group, DansDeals, has more than 50,000 members posting questions, advice and urgent pleas for help.
Daniel Eleff, who founded the group more than 20 years ago as an offshoot of his travel deals website, said that after October 7 it took on a new role, tracking flights and sharing strategies that became a lifeline each time the airspace closed. What began as a forum for bargain-hunting has evolved into a crowdsourced information hub — and, at times, a place to vent frustration and grapple with what it means to encounter a war up close that many had previously followed from afar.
According to Eleff, the unique conditions of this war help explain the challenges. “The U.S. Air Force has based some of their planes out of Ben Gurion,” he said. “We’ve never had a situation like this — running both military and commercial operations out of the same airport in the middle of a war.”
That dynamic, along with limits on flights and passenger numbers amid ongoing missile fire, sharply reduced available seats. With protocols constantly changing, airlines were forced to reshuffle manifests and cancel seats, sometimes at the last minute.
“They would open up more seats, rebook everyone, and then suddenly have to cut it back,” Eleff said. “It created complete chaos.”
The State Department’s response also shifted repeatedly — from purchasing blocks of seats, to briefly organizing free charters, to directing citizens to book independently — adding to the confusion.
As options out of Tel Aviv dwindled, some began looking elsewhere — across the border into Jordan and Egypt. But for many, especially students traveling alone, it felt risky. In online forums, unverified reports of mistreatment at border crossings circulated widely, adding to the uncertainty.
Into that vacuum stepped Grey Bull Rescue, a U.S.-based nonprofit founded by military veteran Bryan Stern, which evacuates Americans from high-risk environments. Within days, the group began organizing overland routes through Jordan, transporting passengers by bus and flying them onward to Europe.
But operating outside official channels comes with risks — and scrutiny. Stern said he was prepared for the former; the latter caught him off guard.
In a widely circulated video, one American parent whose daughter was on a Grey Bull evacuation accused the organization of mismanagement and of “extorting” money from families. The video quickly gained traction, though many — including some on the same trip — pushed back, describing the journey as arduous but worth it and criticizing her as ungrateful.
In a conversation with The Forward, Stern rejected the allegations, attributing delays to missile fire, airspace restrictions and accommodations for religious passengers who could not travel on Shabbat. He also denied participation was ever contingent on payment, though he acknowledged encouraging evacuees to support fundraising.
“Airplanes don’t fly themselves. Buses don’t drive themselves. Someone has to pay for it,” Stern said. “We don’t charge people — but we do ask for help.”
“We’ve had a demonstrable decrease in donations for this operation,” he added, saying the shortfall — compounded by the viral video — has left the organization scrambling to secure funding for future flights.
Departure from a war zone
If the logistics of leaving Israel were complicated, the emotions even more so.
Amid the constant stream of updates, a fierce debate took hold over whether Americans were truly “stuck” — and whether they had the right to complain at all.
For some, the chaos and stress gave way to something unexpectedly meaningful. Raquefette Chertok of New York and Paul Bardack of Maryland were both visiting family when they found themselves sheltering from missile fire while scrambling to get home.
Their journeys followed a familiar pattern: repeated cancellations, scarce information and last-minute rerouting. Eventually, they made it home — Chertok, her husband and three young children via Prague and London, and Bardack and his wife via Athens, Reykjavik and Stockholm.
“We weren’t exactly stuck,” Chertok said, describing the experience as something closer to a rite of passage than a crisis. “It certainly made me feel more connected to this place.”
“I’m also aware that I am very spoiled,” she continued. “I’m talking to you right now from the comfort of my home in Long Island where there are no missiles flying overhead. My heart breaks that my cousins are still dealing with this.”
Bardack and his wife also chose to come despite the risks, wanting to be with their children and grandson if war broke out.
What stayed with him most was how quickly life could shift. “One moment we’re playing chess with our grandson; the next, we’re rushing into the safe room,” he said.
That reality crystallized when he overheard the seven year old asking calmly, “Mommy, is this the day I’m going to die?”
“His tone was so matter-of-fact,” Bardack recalled.
At the same time, he was struck by what he described as the resilience of Israelis — the way, once the all-clear sounded, life resumed almost immediately.
“These are things you read about, you see videos,” he said. “But until you live it, you don’t really get it.”
After a 42 hour journey home, the entire experience has left Bardack with complex feelings about the war, somewhere between full-throated Israeli support and outright American opposition. “I think we are still processing all of this…but right now, we plan to just get some sleep.”
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Russians Retreat as Al Qaeda-Linked Jihadists, Tuareg Separatists Kill Mali’s Defense Minister, Capture Key Town
A Malian soldier stands in position with his weapon during an attack on Mali’s main military base Kati outside the capital Bamako, Mali, April 25, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer
The military junta in Mali came under attack this past weekend in multiple locations across the expansive desert nation, resulting in the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara and the seizure of Kidal, a key town in the African country’s eastern region.
The strikes resulted from an alliance between Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM,) an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group fighting to establish a state governed by strict Islamic Shariah law, and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg rebel separatist militia which seeks to form an independent nation in Mali’s northeast.
Local sources told France 24 that the groups had seized control of Kidal, a reported FLA stronghold, on Monday. This victory followed the retreat of Russia’s Africa Corps, the mercenary organization the Malian government had contracted at a monthly rate of $10 million to provide security.
Fox News Digital reported reviewing video of Russian mercenary casualties and Russian vehicles fleeing Kidal. An FLA spokesperson told the Associated Press that Russia’s Africa Corps had withdrawn and that a “white” agreement had been made.
Other locations hit by attacks included Kati, Gao, Sévaré, and Mopti.
JNIM took credit for bombings at Mali’s primary airport in Bamako.’
Meanwhile, JNIM is the suspect of a car bomb planted outside Camara’s home which exploded on Saturday, killing Mali’s top military leader and three other family members.
The attacks tell “every Malian, every regional capital, and every foreign partner that JNIM can operate at will inside the supposedly secure heart of the state,” Justyna Gudzowska, executive director of The Sentry, an investigative and policy group, told Reuters.
Mali’s military junta, which has ruled since August 2020, on Monday announced injuries sustained by two of its other leaders, Gen. Oumar Diarra, who serves as chief of the armed forces’ general staff, and Gen. Modibo Koné, director of the National Security Agency.
Yvan Guichaoua, a Sahel specialist at the German research center BICC, told Reuters that the attacks intended to “decapitate” the government.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said that the United States “strongly condemns” the terrorist attack in Mali.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected,” the spokesperson added to Fox News Digital. “We stand with the Malian people and government in the face of this violence. The United States remains committed to supporting efforts to advance peace, stability, and security across Mali and the region.”
A statement from the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is “deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence, expresses solidarity with the Malian people, and stresses the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Germany, told Germany’s DW that the strikes were the biggest he had seen in the country in years.
“Remarkably, there has been a coordination between jihadists and Tuareg rebels, which have nothing in common, but they have a joint enemy,” Laessing said. “They staged together an attack in 2012 and took over northern Mali. Then later they fell out. The jihadists got rid of the Tuaregs. So, it’s remarkable that they made a comeback.”
According to a statement from Russia’s foreign ministry posted to Telegram, 250 militants struck the Bamako Senou International Airport and the military base nearby.
“The Malian Armed Forces repelled the attack and are currently taking further steps to eliminate the militia that may have been, reportedly, trained by Western security agencies,” the foreign ministry said. “Russia is deeply concerned about these developments. This terrorist activity poses a direct threat to the stability of friendly Mali and could have the most serious consequences for the entire region.”
Laessing also spoke to the Associated Press, calling the attack a major blow to Russia.
“The [Russian] mercenaries had no intelligence about the attacks and were unable to protect major cities,” he said. “They have unnecessarily worsened the conflict by not distinguishing between civilians and combatants.”
“The fact that the Malian military intelligence has not been able to detect that these attacks were about to take place is a major failure for them,” Nina Wilen, director for the Africa Program at Egmont Institute for International Relations, told DW, saying the attacks revealed how “strong JNIM has become over the past year.”
She noted that Camara had been a key figure in establishing relations with Russia, making him a symbolic figure to target and send a message opposing the presence of Russian troops.
Islamist activity in the Sahel of Western Africa has risen in recent years, causing analysts to label the region the most lethal place on the planet for terrorist deaths, with JNIM leading the body count.
The trend has caught the attention of Washington, DC.
“Across the Sahel in West Africa and in East Africa, terrorist groups are expanding, embedding, and operating with increasing capability,” US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said during a hearing last week on terrorism in Africa. “ISIS affiliates and al-Qaeda-linked groups are growing, controlling territory, and exploiting weak governance.”
“In region after region, terrorist groups are outpacing the ability of local governments to respond,” Cruz added. “The failures threaten our interest globally and endanger the American homeland. The threat is rapidly growing and demands attention.”
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US soldier charged for threatening to ‘kill every single Jew’ inside of a synagogue
(JTA) — A soldier stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana was arrested last week after he told users on the popular messaging platform Discord that he planned to conduct a mass shooting at a synagogue.
Jakob Marcoulier, 22, was arrested last Thursday and charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce after the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received a tip in February that he had made threats toward synagogues, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the western district of Louisiana.
According to court documents, the FBI obtained audio from Discord in which Marcoulier allegedly said, “After this deployment if the Jews still have reign over our government, I am going to walk into a synagogue with my AK, with a 75-round drum mag, and all of my extra mags, with my level four plates, and my haka helmet that’s three plus, and I am going to kill every single Jew I know inside of that synagogue. And that’s my goal in life.”
During the communications, Marcoulier told the other users, “You guys will never do anything about but I will. I just have to finish this, I have to go back overseas and do what I have to do. And then you’ll see me in the news. I promise you.”
He also allegedly said that he would “kill these motherf—kers in order to make sure the white youth is f—king secured.”
It was not immediately clear when Marcoulier made the comments, but the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran on Feb. 28 following a buildup of U.S. troops in the Middle East.
The Iran war has put Jewish institutions across the country and the around the world on high alert, with attacks on synagogues including arsons in Europe and a synagogue ramming in suburban Detroit last month.
“Threats against synagogues and Jewish Americans are threats to the religious freedom promised to every single one of us, and this Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting those freedoms,” United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said in a statement.
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J.D. Salinger asked publishers to remove references to his Jewish heritage, newly surfaced letters reveal
(JTA) — Acclaimed author J.D. Salinger asked his publisher to remove references to his Jewish heritage in the book jacket of “The Catcher in the Rye,” newly surfaced letters from 1951 reveal.
The request came in a letter from Salinger, a notoriously private man, and his editor, John Woodburn at publisher Little, Brown and Co. The correspondence, which took place in early 1951, predates the first publication of “The Catcher in the Rye,” Salinger’s hit coming-of-age novel.
“I don’t know that I’d like to have that Jewish-Irish business slapped on the jacket,” Salinger wrote. “Surely if it’s catchy, that is.”
The letter has come to light because Peter Harrington Rare Books, a bookseller based in London, has listed it as part of a package for sale in the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which begins on Thursday.
“The Catcher in the Rye,” a contemporary classic following the life of angsty boarding school student Holden Caulfield, is one of the best-selling books of all time.
Caulfield’s character is of Irish heritage, like Salinger’s mother. But Salinger was the son of Sol, a cheese salesman (whose wares might have been kosher) and the grandson of a rabbi on his father’s side. His mother, Marie Jillich, went by Miriam to appease her in-laws who disapproved of the mixed marriage. He learned his mother’s real name only around the time of his bar mitzvah.
To Woodburn, Salinger wrote that he worried about being pigeonholed as a Jewish-Irish writer if the book broadcast that information.
“My Jewish-Irishness isn’t quite so bizarre, as, say, [James] Thurber’s eyesight,” Salinger wrote, referring to the American author and cartoonist, who was legally blind by that time. “But nonetheless, second-rate reviewers would probably find the information just provocative enough to use and misuse over and over again, and I’d end up being expected to wear a Star of David and a Shamrock on the back of my sweatshirt. So, please, let’s be careful.”
Salinger’s other famous works include the 1948 short story “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish,” which follows the Irish Catholic-Jewish Glass family, who also make appearances in “Franny and Zooey.”
The letters, previously unpublished, were acquired from a private collector and will be on view at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory from Thursday to May 3.
The bookseller is also currently offering a first edition of the script of West Side Story, inscribed by all four writers of the play, book, and music: Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, and Stephen Sondheim. Peter Harrington has also sold a rare, first printed edition of “De Bello Judaico” by Josephus Flavius, the first-century Roman-Jewish historian.
The triad of letters is currently offered at a set price of $47,500 and includes two typed letters by Salinger, with his signature, and a carbon copy of Woodburn’s reply. It also includes a reference to one of Salinger’s “lost stories,” a prequel to “Catcher in the Rye” that was not to be published until 50 years after his death.
Salinger died in 2010 at the age of 91. The “lost story,” “The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls,” was set to be published in 2060, but in 2013, it was pirated and leaked online.
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