Image by Haaretz

An ultra-Orthodox group is threatening to disrupt operations at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport during the busy Passover holiday week with protests against the drafting of yeshiva students into the army.

A body calling itself “the committee for the rescue of the world of Torah” took out ads in ultra-Orthodox media outlets, saying that the planned “mass protests” are meant to send an unspecified “message to the nations of the world.” Protesters would be “carrying signs in English and other languages” to draw the attention of “ foreign tourists,” the ad said.

The ad said passengers should be ready for flight delays, and recommended that they arrive at the airport early or even change their flights to avoid congestion caused by the protests, which “we will be forced to carry out at various times without prior notice.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

According to the Airport Authority, 1.6 million people are expected to pass through the airport on about 10,000 flights throughout April.

The movement has organized several protests in recent weeks after three ultra-Orthodox men were arrested for shirking the draft. The three yeshiva students had ignored summonses calling them to report to the army to arrange a deferment, as most ultra-Orthodox males of draft age do.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount