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Ultra-Orthodox Jews lining up at Ben Gurion International airport. (Archives) Last update - 19:25 06/01/2007 El Al: We are not surrendering to ultra-Orthodox pressure By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent In an interviewed with Haaretz on Saturday, an El Al excecutive said the company is not 'surrendering to the Haredim' and will maintain its current policy barring flights on Shabbat and holidays except in emergency situations. The statement came a day after El Al CEO Haim Romano and attorney Yaakov Weinrot, representing the ultra-Orthodox rabbinical committee for Shabbat, signed a deal to end a dispute over Shabbat flights. The agreement signals an end to an unofficial boycott of El Al, which has led to losses of about NIS 1 million a day, according to an official at Israel's national carrier. Advertisement The agreement stipulates that El Al will appoint a rabbi to rule on instances of a perceived need for flights on Shabbat. El Al has also committed to adhere to its general policy of not flying on Shabbat. The rabbi, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, is described in the agreement as an "adviser," and El Al noted that he will not have veto power. However, if the airline does not heed his ruling, it will be considered in violation of the agreement itself. According to the agreement, if El Al decides there is a need for flights on Shabbat - as happened nearly a month ago, in the incident that spurred the dispute - the issue will be referred to Amar. He will approve a flight only if he determines that doing so would be a life-saving measure, thereby overriding Shabbat. El Al rejected the ultra-Orthodox demand that the airline pay the cancellation fee of Shabbat-observant passengers if El Al decided to fly despite Amar's ruling to the contrary. The parties agreed that in such a case, the cancellation fee would go to the Health Ministry's budget for its health basket of medications and medical treatments. Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger praised the deal and said, "I am very pleased with the company's understanding of the ultra-Orthodox public's sensitivity [to the issue] and that they agreed to keep the Shabbat." Metzger called for all businesses that do not keep Shabbat to follow El-Al's lead. A source at El Al stated on Saturday, 'both sides bit off more than they could chew, but have now come to an agreement that is comfortable for both sides. The religious will not initiate a boycott on El Al." In light of the role of Rabbi Amar, the source at El Al added 'the rabbi will serve only as an advisor, not a decision-maker. He won't be part of El Al management. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Deadly shelling B'Tselem slams IDF decision not to indict troops over errant strike that left 21 civilians dead. Reaching boiling point Gaza residents are told to boil drinking water as purifying chlorine runs out.   1.   El Al, what secular people have to say? 12:30  |  Robin 05/01/07   2.   El Al & the rabbis 12:40  |  Avner 05/01/07   3.   robin 13:01  |  david 05/01/07   4.   If this is true - good news 13:11  |  A Jewish State 05/01/07   5.   Shabbat Flights 13:21  |  Moshe 05/01/07   6.   let go already 13:29  |  revach 05/01/07   7.   Response to Revach 13:44  |  Glen 05/01/07   8.   At long last 13:46  |  Blake 05/01/07   9.   Heroes 13:47  |  Bland 05/01/07   10.   El Al 13:52  |  Mordechai 05/01/07   11.   To Mordechai: huh? 13:59  |  Shraga 05/01/07   12.   Response to Mordechai 14:04  |  Simon 05/01/07   13.   Mordechai`s unfounded allegations 14:08  |  Chaim 05/01/07   14.   Undiluted nonsense #10 14:10  |  Freddie 05/01/07   15.   to #5 Moshe 14:23  |  Robin 05/01/07   16.   Next steps: dress code for women, converts not allowed on el-al? 14:32  |  Ruth 05/01/07   17.   to #3 David 14:34  |  Robin 05/01/07   18.   "10 Mordechai 14:42  |  Chuck 05/01/07   19.   I`m all for El Al not flying on Shabbat 14:58  |  Secular Jew 05/01/07   20.   responce to glen 15:00  |  Revach 05/01/07   21.   Elal 15:03  |  Hersh 05/01/07   22.   Getting closer to Halakhah state... 15:06  |  Rami 05/01/07   23.   #10 15:19  |  jacob 05/01/07   24.   Taliban Airlines 15:47  |  Avi 05/01/07   25.   #5 Moshe 15:49  |  Ari ben Yisrael 05/01/07   26.   The customer comes first 15:49  |  Vernon Marriott 05/01/07   27.   To my Secular Brothers and Sisters. 15:50  |  S Judah 05/01/07   28.   #10 Mordechai 15:54  |  Ari ben Yisrael 05/01/07   29.   Is this designated rabbi Amar the selfsame one whose 15:59  |  Ari ben Yisrael 05/01/07   30.   EL AL RABBINICS 16:07  |  stude ham 05/01/07   31.   Secular Boycott of ElAl 16:09  |  Yves 05/01/07   32.   El Al and blackmail 16:17  |  Sally Chapman 05/01/07   33.   El Al Is Not Jewish 16:18  |  Brad 05/01/07   34.   A state for the Jews 16:24  |  Matt 05/01/07   35.   ELAL 16:34  |  Honest Observation 05/01/07   36.   El AL made the the right choice. 17:21  |  Moe 05/01/07   37.   ElAl bows to Blackmail 17:36  |  Danny 05/01/07   38.   to #3 David - torah forbides the web 17:54  |  Robin 05/01/07   39.   SO GLAD 18:07  |  SAM EL LLANITO 05/01/07   40.   DIFFERENT TIME 20:11  |  TOBIA 05/01/07   41.   Robin you have no clue 21:27  |  Steven 05/01/07   42.   Rami, El Al is no longer state-owned 21:32  |  Jake 05/01/07   43.   The times they are a-changing 23:10  |  Yonatan 05/01/07   44.   #34 Matt - the state of the State for the Jews 23:17  |  Yonatan 05/01/07   45.   Ultra Orthodox 23:19  |  Michael Brown 05/01/07   46.   It is time to stop tolerating the religous 23:27  |  Yaron 05/01/07   47.   What airline do rabbis fly with when they boycott ELAL ? 23:40  |  Markus 05/01/07   48.   My response to those who commented on my post 00:02  |  Mordechai 06/01/07   49.   ELAL=Very Poor Service + Bad Ethics 00:14  |  Eli 06/01/07   50.   Israel`s descent into religious intolerance 00:17  |  yored 06/01/07   51.   WILL EL AL SURVIVE IF COMPETITION IS FREED? 00:46  |  paul harris 06/01/07   52.   #43 Yonatan 00:50  |  Yonatan (the same) 06/01/07   53.   #41, Steven, you have no clue 02:52  |  Avi 06/01/07   54.   El Al is Nuts 03:11  |  Mike 06/01/07   55.   Question to Yonatan 06:13  |  Honest Observation 06/01/07   56.   The new Taliban? 08:21  |  Dev 06/01/07   57.   Avi- who made you G-d to decide who is a jew 08:30  |  dev 06/01/07   58.   #55 Answer to Honest Observer 12:43  |  Yonatan 06/01/07   59.   ...with such ultra-orthodox people...( 3% )...wich money... 12:53  |  abraham...mico 06/01/07   60.   El Al on Saturday 13:06  |  Jacques Camonis 06/01/07   61.   ELAL WANTS MONEY MONEY 13:06  |  Maurice 06/01/07   62.   travel on Shabbat 14:53  |  Mendel the Mean 06/01/07   63.   who cares? 16:35  |  stella in Guelph 06/01/07   64.   your zrticle about elal surrender 18:51  |  schreiber 06/01/07   65.   #43 - Avi 19:11  |  NP 06/01/07   66.   #55 Answer to Honest Observer (cont`d.) 19:35  |  Yonatan 06/01/07   67.   Ultra Orthodox pressure-ElAl 19:42  |  mannyp 06/01/07   68.   Appreciated gesture EL AL 20:04  |  Alicia 06/01/07   69.   Mendel the Mean 20:11  |  chuck 06/01/07   70.   ELAL AND THE RELIGIOUS 20:27  |  colin 06/01/07   71.   The Rabbis and Halachic Ruling to support Jewish Business 20:30  |  Steve 06/01/07   72.   El Al: We are not surrendering to ultra-Orthodox pressure 20:37  |  paul 06/01/07   73.   El Al 20:46  |  paul 06/01/07   74.   living in the middle ages 21:20  |  juchi 06/01/07   75.   you;re not surrendering? 21:24  |  mani 06/01/07   76.   About a movie and rabbis versus EL AL 21:50  |  j 06/01/07   77.   El Al 21:56  |  Lazer 06/01/07   78.   #69 Steve 22:29  |  D Hirod 06/01/07   79.   About a movie . 22:29  |  Jose Marcio 06/01/07   80.   Do they still show movies on EL AL fligths? 22:56  |  Ronen 06/01/07   81.   El Al 23:47  |  aharon 06/01/07   82.   Schreiber#64 23:51  |  Honest Observation 06/01/07   83.   ABSURD 00:06  |  Chava 07/01/07   84.   El-Al & ultra Orthodox 00:19  |  Steve 07/01/07   85.   Orthodoxism 00:56  |  TOBIAS R?GER 07/01/07   86.   Steve 01:26  |  Ben Plonie 07/01/07   87.   amazing discussion... 01:28  |  ben 07/01/07   88.   Mendel-the Goi ? 02:07  |  Mendel the Mean 07/01/07   89.   Agreement long overdue 02:23  |  Joe 07/01/07   90.   a funny halach 05:22  |  revach 07/01/07   91.   el -al 12:46  |  moshe 07/01/07   92.   INSANITY 17:23  |  lea 12/07/07   93.   unbelievable 17:32  |  Leah 12/07/07   94.   EL Al Flt on Shabbat 11:03  |  Matti Brooks-Miller 28/02/08

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