Ben Gurion Airport descended into chaos this week, with massive queues and disruptions sparking a bitter war of words between airport management and the workers’ committee. The airport authority accused staff of deliberately disrupting operations, whilst the workers’ committee countered that employees were exhausted and overwhelmed by understaffing and excessive workload. Committee chairman Pinchas Idan claimed he had already issued a warning letter in June, suggesting the problems were foreseeable and preventable.

The scale of disruption at Israel’s main international gateway prompted recriminations from multiple quarters. Workers’ representatives argued that chronic understaffing had left employees stretched to breaking point, unable to cope with passenger volumes. The airport management maintained a different narrative, asserting that workers had intentionally caused the disruptions, though they did not elaborate on the specific allegations.

The dispute has also drawn in the government, with members of Netanyahu’s Likud party suggesting the timing was politically motivated. They claimed that committee chairman Idan had timed the work disruptions to coincide with Transport Minister Miri Regev’s trip to Morocco, implying an attempt to damage both her reputation and, by extension, Prime Minister Netanyahu. The allegation adds another layer to the row, though it remains unclear what evidence supporters of this claim are basing it on.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.