Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered, following the strike today (Thursday) at Ben Gurion Airport, to initiate proceedings to expel from the Likud party the chairman of the Airports Authority workers' committee, Pinchas Idan.
The Likud stated: "Following the wild and illegal strike at the airport that harmed the citizens of the country and damaged the economy, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the removal of Pinchas Idan - Chairman of the Airports Authority Workers' Committee - from his Likud membership.".
Political commentator Amit Segal, who earlier harshly attacked Idan, wondered: "Now the question is whether they will fight his commander the way they fought the new Likudniks in their time against the left-wing organization.".
Earlier, Netanyahu threatened, saying: "Ben Tel Aviv Airport will continue to be open and operate as usual. Anyone who stands in the way will fly home.".
During the day, harsh criticism was leveled on social media at the chairman of the Airports Authority employees' committee, Pinchas Idan, who is also a member of the Likud Central Committee.
The strike caused chaos at the airport, and in the Kingdom, check-in counters were closed and severe disruptions were recorded in the handling of thousands of passengers and their luggage.
At 2:00 PM, the airport closed for landings, and starting at 3:00 PM, landings and takeoffs gradually resumed, in accordance with the rearrangement of the flight schedule.
It is estimated that the port will return to full regular operation only during the night.
Idan claimed this evening on Channel 2 that the authority's management, not the committee, announced the strike.
""The shift was supposed to end at 11:00 AM, and we announced that the porters were collapsing and couldn't work 12 hours. The lunch shift was supposed to start at 1:00 PM, and management was asked to bring it forward two hours. If they had done that, there wouldn't have been a strike," he claimed, "We didn't stop a single flight.".
Idan added that the chaos that prevailed at the airport today could repeat itself. "We won't initiate anything, but if they don't manage to recruit workers, we won't get through the holidays or August peacefully," he warned.
