Following the outbreak of Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, there have been multiple cases of planes being forced to land in countries that are unfriendly to Israel.
A plane with about 180 Israeli passengers on board was forced to land in Saudi Arabia, and the passengers were made to wait on board pending instructions.
One woman told The Jerusalem Post that her brother, flying from Sri Lanka to Dubai, was forced to land in Muscat, Oman, a country that has not normalized relations with Israel.
The Post spoke to Ofri, who is stuck in Bahrain. While Israel and Bahrain have diplomatic relations, Israel’s Foreign Ministry currently prohibits all travel to the kingdom, deeming it a “high threat” destination. The ministry’s website informs: “Since the beginning of Operation Swords of Iron [aka the Israel-Hamas War], there has been a significant increase in hostility against Israelis/Jews worldwide. Terrorist cells are more motivated to harm Israelis/Jews everywhere. Consequently, we recommend avoiding all travel to this country.”
Ofri had been on a work trip in Dubai and wanted to explore a new country, when war broke out. “The thing is, there are sirens and explosion sounds everywhere, and very often, but there is no option of shelter, so it feels very off,” he said.
On Sunday, he again contacted the Post, this time to report that he had seen a lot of damage in Dubai, especially to residential buildings and to a US Navy base.
Ofek’s initial plan was to fly from Bahrain to Dubai and from there to Israel, but after understanding that the situation would last for more than a few days, he booked a flight to London.
Currently, though, Bahrain’s airspace is completely closed, so he said he is currently waiting for it to open.
Only the hotel management knows that he is from Israel. He added that he is watching the local news closely and everyone is “very shocked.”
Israeli hides identity in Egypt
The Post also spoke to Abraham, who is stuck in Egypt. Israel has prohibited travel to Egypt, “given concerns that terrorist entities will try to harm Israelis.”
Abraham, however, is a joint Israeli-US citizen and has not told anyone that he is Israeli. He told the Post he feels safer in Egypt right now than he would in Israel, but he is yet to make contact with Israeli authorities.
Then there are those stuck in safe countries but with no way of getting back. Esther was supposed to fly back to Israel tomorrow from the United States, but her flight was canceled. She was informed that she cannot get a new flight until March 21.
“I feel awful, I miss home and would rather deal with Iran and be in my home country with my family than in the USA. Israel is home, good or bad, and I want to be there to support and go through anything for my people,” she said.
She said she has had no real help, and while El Al helped a little, she has been “kind of left in the dark.”
Natalie spoke to the Post from Madrid, where she is staying with a family friend after her flight from the US to Israel was cancelled.
“I was thinking maybe to try to catch a flight to Amman, but then I have to figure out how to get back to central Israel from there. Another solution might be to try to get over to Athens or Cyprus, but again, until the airspace clears up, it’s kind of hard to tell.”
She said that while it was upsetting to see “all the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish graffiti in Spain,” she was not hiding her Israeli identity.
“That said, because I don’t have an Israeli accent and won’t be walking around speaking Hebrew, I might be in a different boat than those who do,” she added.
Alexandra was supposed to leave Brazil for Israel on Saturday, with a connecting flight in Europe. However, after waking up to red-alert sirens on her phone, she decided to remain in Rio de Janeiro for a few more days. Right now, she doesn’t know when she will be able to return, but she said that once Ben-Gurion Airport reopens, she would be on the first flight home.
“When I flew abroad, I knew there was a chance a war might break out, though I didn’t think the probability was very high,” she said. “I’ve missed home, my family, and my work, but we are doing something great here [by attacking the Islamic Republic], so what is it to me to stay in Rio just a little longer?”
Alexandra concluded, “I hope that after this war, there will be no more wars; that the rest of the Gulf states will join the Abraham Accords, and we will be able to live here in peace, as good neighbors, in full cooperation. I am so grateful to the security forces, our incredible pilots, and everyone taking part in this historic moment and supporting us.”