The chairman of the Israel Airports Authority union, Pinchas Idan, has responded for the first time since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to remove him from the Likud party following the chaos reported this week at Ben Gurion Airport. Idan refuses to guarantee that similar disruptions will not occur again.
In an interview with Kan News, Idan said that unless steps are taken to address the airport’s manpower shortage, disruptions could continue. “I promise nothing," he said when asked whether the public could be reassured ahead of next week.
Idan rejected claims that the workers’ committee initiated the strike that caused major disruptions at the airport, instead placing responsibility on Israel Airports Authority management. “It wasn’t me who shut down Ben Gurion Airport, but the airport manager. Everything is documented and filmed," he said.
According to Idan, the crisis was caused by the extraordinary workload placed on baggage handlers. “There are workers who started their shift at 3:00 a.m. and were supposed to work until the afternoon. They asked to go home because they felt they couldn’t stand on their feet," he explained.
Idan said he plans to petition the court to prevent baggage handlers from being assigned 12-hour shifts. “Is it safe for an employee to wake up at two in the morning, arrive at work at three, and work 12 hours? The average age of the workers is 40 to 50, after decades of work. My back hurts for them," he said.
Regarding Netanyahu’s decision to remove him from Likud, Idan appeared unfazed. “I haven’t received anything in my life from Likud," he said, while also rejecting claims that his actions were politically motivated.
He also denied reports that he deliberately disrupted Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s flight. “I myself loaded the minister’s plane together with Brigadier General Ron Tal. The porters work around the clock; they don’t even have time to drink a glass of water," he said.
Following the unusual disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport, Netanyahu announced Idan’s removal from the Likud party, accusing him of being behind a “wild and unlawful strike" that harmed Israeli citizens and the economy. Idan has continued to insist that there was no strike, arguing instead that airport management reduced operations because of a manpower crisis that the union had warned about long in advance.