Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine) 19.06.2025
Thousands of Israelis would like to flee Israel on flights to various places, but the airport in Lod is closed to international flights and the sky is blocked. So what do they do?
Noa Limona writes in Haaretz:
“7:04 PM • June 16, 2025
And hundreds and thousands of Israelis have already joined groups that provide them with an alternative escape route. Even those who are willing to pay, say the captains, must prepare for difficulties
In recent days, the marina in Herzliya has become a miniature terminal. From 7 a.m., people come here – mainly individuals, a few couples and families – who pull a trolley and look for the yacht that is supposed to take them from here to Cyprus, and from there to any place that is not here. It costs them many hundreds of dollars/thousands of shekels.
According to Facebook groups dedicated to leaving Israel by sea, hundreds of people now want to leave Israel this way. And when there is demand, as we know, there are also those who rush to offer their services for a fee. As in Herzliya, other marinas – for example, Haifa and Ashkelon – organize small yacht owners with groups of up to ten people. That morning there were at least 100 people in Herzliya, and the Population Authority still couldn’t estimate the extent of the phenomenon” [i]
Endnotes:
[i] https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/2025-06-16/ty-article-magazine/.premium/00000197-78b1-d9fe-a597-ffbd64410000