El-Al Flight Delayed Over Video Screens

from Yeshiva World News:

A chareidi father of eight detained a flight from Tel Aviv to Kiev as it was preparing for takeoff. The flight was delayed for over an hour as he insisted the cabin crew close the movie screens which were visible.

The flight was a low-cost El Al affiliate, UP, which was scheduled to fly to Kiev.

Passengers explain that some on board worked to persuade the man to back down, as did members of the cabin crew but he persisted despite all efforts to allay the situation.

The passengers add there were many chareidim on board, and they told him “sit down because you are making a major Chilul Hashem” but he would not adhere to their words.

At the end, he agreed to wear his eye mask, and he was given sufficient number for all of his children as well.

El Al officials confirm it was UP flight LY2654 to Kiev and that the passenger was insistent regarding demands to fold down the screens. When the passenger finally agreed to be seated the flight could take off as he and his family members had their eyes covered.

31 Comments

  • cholentmitkugel

    A rachmunus for his children..oy..to live with such a fanatic. He is practicing Christianity for sure.

  • Think

    The story is about somebody who is an extreme wacko. It so Happens to be that he was raised as a frum Jew. Now he used his Judaism to express his craziness.
    1+1+1= good news story.

    If someone can’t divide these three things they’re not thinking with a clear mind.

  • Gevurah sheb'gvurah

    Yes, we need to speak up for what is right but also in a pleasant way. I don’t know how he was asking. Maybe if he would have thought of it and brought dvd’s of kosher videos, they would have played those?

  • Yankel Todres

    Lunatic! I hope he trains his children to get around in the city blindfolded too, so that they can’t see the immodestly dressed Goyim!

    • Milhouse

      On the street there’s no need for a blindfold, one can simply look down at the ground in front of ones feet. It’s called shmiras einayim, and it’s really a basic halachic requirement. On a plane the screen is right in front of your face and you can’t avoid it.

      The Rebbe used to walk around Paris with his eyes in a newspaper, so he could observe this while appearing “normal”. He remarked that with the way the local women dressed he didn’t see any other heter to walk on the street. Things have not improved in 80 years.

  • Milhouse

    You know, El Al could easily solve this problem once and for all by modifying the screens to let them be shut off individually, or by having screenless sections of seating like the smoking sections planes used to have.

    They could solve even more problems by allowing people to specify at seating assignment that they want to be seated next to someone of the same sex. and once again, for flights with large demand for it, e.g. ones with lots of bochurim/girls, they could have blocks of single-sex seating.

    This would be very easy to do in the check-in software, and then boarding would be smooth. But they refuse on principle to do it then, out of pure hostility to religion, and instead put the burden on flight attendants to try to accommodate people’s preferences as much as possible post-boarding. Even when the flight attendants are willing to try, they can’t always do it, and that leads to disruption and charedim looking bad, when really it’s the airline’s fault.

    • btw

      they arent refusing cuz of hostility, theyre refusing cuz its segregating them and not allowed blah blah blah…. I read about an experiment in Harlme, they seperated the boys and girls into different classes, and they all learned way better since they were able to focus, and the parents loved it, but the school was forced to switch it back cuz it wasnt fair to seperate them

  • Moishe pipek

    I thing that Milhouse should buy a ticket and explain his great philosophy to the airline this way all friction between passengers would be solved..

  • !?!!

    You are all being judgemental for no reason and you don’t even known what actually visually happended!!! It’s a disgrace and this shld not even be posted everywhere it’s complete loshon hara and none of anyone’s bussiness!!What happend happend now move.on in life!! Imagine it was something that you wouldn’t want your kids to see!!

  • To #5 Milhouse

    Elal is an airline. They cater to the public. Should they ban all meat products to not upset a vegetarian? Or not allow frumies to make a minyan to avoid upsetting the Christians or hindu believers? Or maybe avoid Hebrew announcements to avoid upsetting nonHebrew speakers?? I hope you realize these are rhetorical questions and don’t bother answering them. If this person doesn’t like the service he gets on Elal: he should boycott them. Just as we all do with any store or business or restaurant that didn’t treat us right. We don’t go back!!
    Oh wait, Mr Milhouse, I have a business idea for you. Start an airline that implements all those ideas you suggested. Call it “FrumAir”. Then market it to the people who harass the regular Elal fliers.
    You will become a millionaire!
    Good luck!

    • Milhouse

      They are a business catering to a clientele that demands this sort of service. If they were not so hostile to religion they would cater to them. They don’t because they want to force religious people into this sort of situation where they can either compromise or create a scene.

    • Anonymous

      Thank you! And I know that. My Jewish mother (like all Jewish mothers everywhere) has been telling me that ever since i was born.

  • Andrea Schonberger

    Trust me–just one peep at the movie and he and his family won’t want to see it as the movies shown on flights are so boring it’s downright pitiful and not worthwhile to bother with. I always bring a good book and crossword puzzle on flights.

  • Really so bad?

    I agree that it depended on what was being shown. I won’t forget having a kid in the hospital (Thank G-d it was fine) and they showed a video in which the extreme chutzpah and lack of menchlikeit of the main characters was appalling. I grew up with tv and movies and was disgusted by this and I did ask for the channel to be switched. (Or off).

  • Picaboo Shimon

    They should bring ear plugs and eye masks wherever they go so they can live in their protected world without forcing everyone else to be inconvenienced.

    • Milhouse

      Nobody else would be inconvenienced if the airline catered to the preferences of this sector of its clientele. If the screens were capable of being shut down individually, or if there were a section where they were all shut off, and passengers could request seating in that section, the way they used to do with smokers and non-smokers, there would have been no problem.

      The same applies to those passengers who are reasonably concerned about sitting for ten hours in intimate proximity to an unrelated member of the opposite sex. The airline could easily cater to their preferences but chooses not to. Meanwhile every airline in the world makes sure to seat unaccompanied minors next to women only, based (not only on the unwarranted and sexist assumption that women are less likely than men to be a problem, but also) on the underlying assumption that the risk of the yetzer horo causing problems is significant enough to warrant such measures — which is exactly the same assumption that they find so offensive when the Torah makes it.

  • To #20 and milhouse

    Milhouse: see what #20 did? They shut off the tv. Did they demand to cut Tv service to every other person in hospital? Or try to have the Tv pulled out of wall and thrown out of room? No, they shut off the tv. This wacko on the plan could’ve done the same. Shut their individual screen. Or given the kids blinders or a book to read.
    Stop trying to control everyone else’s life. Just control your own life. Live and let live. If you need further assistance: speak with Dr Schonbach. He can help.

    • Milhouse

      That is exactly what this person wanted to do, shut off the screens for him and his children. If the airline had made that possible there would have been no problem. This should be a very simple thing to do, but they don’t do it because they refuse to cater to the preferences of this significant sector of their clientele.

  • The kangeroo

    Milhouse should buy a ticket and explain his great philosophy to the airline. I do not see a reason why they would reject his wisdom.If you don’t beleive me ask the genius Milhouse.When Israel will learn of his superior mind they might elect him as the leader.Don’t forget M is the first letter in Milhouse but is also the first letter in Meshiach.

    • Milhouse for president

      I agree with #23 “the kangaroo ”
      Milhouse should be elected president of the world! He has the answers and solutions to every problem that exists in this world!! M for prez!!!

    • Milhouse

      How would buying a ticket help? You think the airline pays more attention to someone because he was once a passenger? What I proposed was perfectly obvious, and must already have occurred to El al, but they rejected it for one reason only: because they are opposed to religion, and have contempt for this sector of their clientele. They’re confident none of their competitors will provide this service, so they see no need to do so either.

  • Oy Vey

    The fact is that most of the non kosher movie industry is run and owned by our fellow yidden. That is what really is sad.

  • K

    When your boys ask passengers to put on tefillin – is that a chillul hashem? (Many outside your community would say: yes!!)

    This guy, like your boys, is standing up for what he believes in and wishes to protect himself and his children from being contaminated by the videos.

    Bravo for him!

    Same as making a minyan on flight. Blocking isles. Disturbing people. We gotta stop this. Poskim are against it.

    And don’t stop people on street to ask if they are Jewish – people need to gt to work and have a right not to be harassed or molested.

  • The kangeroo

    Buying a ticket might not help.Being electec President of the world would.You know the solution to every problem the world should reconize your superior wisdom and appoint Milhouse by acclimation. I see that there is no Shliach chabad to Iran you and k would make a perfect pair for the job.Rabbi Kotlarsky please take note.This assigment you can while the world president office is bein readied

    • Crown Heightser

      Milhouse and K appointed shluchim to Iran…they would be at each other’s throats and calling every day for din torah’s to the mullahs. LOL, I can see it as a cartoon.