The media is filled with reports about concerned Israeli citizens flocking back to this country during these critical days of Operation Swords of Iron, returning to military duty, or coming to support their homeland, but what about outgoing air travelers? Who is leaving Israel these days and why?
Tasked with locating native Israelis and foreigners who are leaving, and learning about their fears, why they are flying, and how they feel, I set out from my home in Beit Shemesh early Wednesday morning, not knowing what to expect.Traffic to the airport was light, and I arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport in just over 30 minutes. Outwardly, at least, I did not detect any unusual security procedures other than a soldier standing guard as I crossed the street from the parking lot to the arrivals entrance. I made my way upstairs to the departures section of the airport, where I soon noticed that almost all those waiting to fly out on Wednesday were foreigners from the United States, Russia, Holland, South Korea, and elsewhere.
The departures terminal at Ben-Gurion is usually a hubbub of sound, with a good portion of it coming from loud, rapid-fire Hebrew. But on this Wednesday morning, there was almost none to be heard. Flights were delayed, and travelers were busy scanning the departure boards to determine when their flights were leaving.
Who was leaving Israel today and why?
Karen Peretz, Danielle Abelson, and Emily Froelich, residents of the Five Towns in Long Island, were on their way home to their respective communities, Cedarhurst and Woodmere, after spending two months studying in a women’s seminary in Jerusalem. They had planned to remain in Israel until June but were forced to return to the US at their parents’ insistence.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Peretz said, sighing. Abelson and Froelich echoed her words and said they planned to return to their studies in Israel as soon as the war ends.
Jonathan and Beth Bennett of Lawrence, also one of the Five Towns, expressed similar sentiments. They arrived for Sukkot with their family in tow and were planning to leave on Monday. Their flight was canceled, and they could not find space on a departing flight until 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Asked whether they were afraid to return to Israel, Jonathan said, “No,” adding that his Hebrew name is Naftali, and the spelling of his last name is identical to that of former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
“We actually feel so bad leaving,” Beth said. “It’s the first time we have the feeling that we want to stay, and we have to leave at the same time.”
Walking through the terminal, I found two couples sitting calmly and quietly with their luggage piled on a cart. Their calm demeanor was a clear sign that they are not native-born Israelis.
Rene and Karin Wallenburg and Joost and Netty Byl are from Holland. They arrived in Israel on September 29 on a biblical sightseeing trip. They rented a car and traveled to the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, and Beit She’an, before arriving in Jerusalem last Thursday.
“The main reason we came is that we are Christians,” Rene said. “We wanted to see the country where we read from the Bible.”
They were staying in their rented Airbnb apartment in Jerusalem when the sirens first sounded, and at first, they did not know what was happening. When they went to the street, they realized they knew more than the Shabbat observing Jews who could not access cellphones and the news. They saw the Iron Dome air-defense system in action as it intercepted incoming missiles.
“We felt quite safe in Israel the entire time,” Karin said. “It hurts me to leave the country in this situation, when I will be going to a safe place. My heart is crying for the people here. When we return to Holland, we will pray that God will change the situation for the better, like He did in the past for this country.”
Though their flight back to Holland was canceled, the Wallenburgs and the Byls were to fly back on a plane provided by the Dutch military for the tour group.
Sang Gui Lee and Seok Ju Kim, who are both mechanical engineers from Seoul, South Korea, have spent the past week in Israel working on an engineering project. They also encountered difficulties with their return trip. Currently, they are scheduled to fly to Abu Dhabi and continue to Tokyo, before flying home to Inchon.
Asked whether they were frightened by the sirens and the missiles, Seok laughed and dictated his answer into his cellphone in Korean, which translated his answer into English: “I thought they were fireworks.”
Medy and Tzvika Hershkowitz from Rishon Lezion knew the missiles were not fireworks. They were one of the few departing Israeli families I was able to find. They arrived at the airport for their trip to Salonika, Greece, which was scheduled to leave Wednesday afternoon, only to learn that the flight was delayed until the evening.
Their son, who lives in Greece, arranged the trip because he did not want his parents to be here during the war. Medy said she was not frightened, but her husband, a disabled IDF veteran, was very concerned.
Rabbi Shmuel Schuman and his wife, Shana, from Chicago came to Israel with their daughter Tehila, 15, to spend Sukkot and visit three of their children who are currently studying and living in Israel.
“Our kids are all staying here,” Shana said. “This is where they should be.”
The Schumans were staying with their married daughter in Jerusalem when the sirens sounded.
“We didn’t know what to do, but then we heard the Iron Dome,” Shmuel said.
Asked what he would tell people in Chicago about this trip to Israel, Schuman said: “The Jewish people come together in ways no one else does. We saw that everyone felt a responsibility to do something. We are one people. Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes these kinds of events to bring us together, but we see it come together, and while everyone is horrified, no one is afraid, and everyone wants to work together.”