Chief rabbi rules El Al repatriation flights must not fly on Shabbat

Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef tells Transportation Minister Miri Regev and El Al management that it is not permissible to break Shabbat to operate repatriation flights for Israelis stranded abroad, his spokesperson confirms to The Times of Israel.

Some 150,000 Israelis are estimated to be stuck outside of the country, since Israel closed off its airspace in the early morning of Friday amid the dramatic escalation with Iran.

The Transportation Ministry, as well as Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir, have been working to organize repatriation flights to bring them home as soon as the security conditions allow it. The flights are scheduled to begin tomorrow.

El Al typically does not operate on Shabbat.

However, considering the extenuating circumstances, Regev and El Al asked Yosef if rescue flights could be arranged also on Saturdays.

Jewish law allows breaking Shabbat in matters of pikuah nefesh, or life and death, a concept that is at times interpreted broadly.

However, in this case, Yosef rules that there is no immediate threat to those who are stranded and therefore no grounds to allow flights on Shabbat.

According to a spokesperson for Regev, the rescue operation to bring home stranded Israelis will operate 24/7.

“The rabbi’s prohibition is specifically for El Al,” he says. “We will continue with whoever can fly or sail.”

Arkia operates on Shabbat and is also organizing repatriation flights.

In addition, Mano Maritime will operate two cruise voyages to help bring back stranded Israelis by sea from Cyprus to Israel in coordination with the Transportation Ministry.