Pinhas Idan will not appeal his expulsion from Likud following Ben Gurion Airport strike

The chairman of the Israel Airports Authority workers' committee, Pinhas Idan, has notified the chairman of the Likud tribunal, Adv. Michael Kleiner, that he does not intend to appeal the petition filed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to expel him from the party. The announcement comes days after Netanyahu demanded Idan's removal due to what was described as a "wild and illegal strike."

The move to expel Idan followed severe disruptions and the closure of check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport during the peak travel season, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Netanyahu filed a petition with the party tribunal, claiming the strike was a deliberate action intended to harm the government and Likud. The workers' committee rejected these claims, citing genuine operational distress caused by severe manpower shortages.

"For over 50 years, my family and I have been members of the Likud center, and since the Prime Minister has decided that I am the malicious factor causing damage to the party, I am too small to appeal his determination. For the avoidance of doubt, I was not the one who gave the order to stop operations at the airport, and furthermore, I even demanded to conduct an uncompromising investigation to find the person responsible for giving this order," wrote Idan.

Although the Israel Airports Authority management has signaled that the crisis is nearing a resolution, uncertainty remains. Idan himself warned that staff will struggle to manage the heavy passenger volume expected during the upcoming Tishrei holiday period, with all eyes on the busy days ahead.