US Congressman Criticizes Airlines for Suspending Flights to Israel

US Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has strongly criticized several major American airlines for suspending their routes to Israel, suggesting that these indefinite suspensions amount to a silent boycott of the Jewish state. Torres, a vocal supporter of Israel, called out American Airlines, Delta, and United for their decisions to pause flights to Israel without clear timeframes, labeling these actions as discriminatory.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Torres demanded that the airlines' CEOs end the "unilateral and indefinite" suspensions of air travel to Israel. "Air travel suspensions should have time limits and FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approval," Torres asserted, accusing the airlines of acting independently of FAA directives. He further argued that the indefinite nature of these suspensions makes them "indistinguishable from a boycott."

Torres’s concerns were outlined in a letter sent to the CEOs of the three airlines, which was first reported by Jewish Insider. In the letter, he expressed alarm over the "prolonged" and "pervasive" suspension of flights, which he claims has made travel to Israel less accessible and more costly. With Israel’s national airline, El Al, remaining the sole carrier operating between the US and Israel, Torres warned that this creates a "de facto monopoly."

Particularly critical of American Airlines, Torres highlighted their decision to suspend flights to Israel until mid-2025, suggesting this move effectively constitutes a boycott or discrimination against Israel. He speculated that these airlines might be yielding to pressures from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel economically and politically.

"Given the arbitrary length of the suspension, one could be forgiven for thinking that the BDS movement had taken over the American aviation industry without anyone noticing, much less crying foul," Torres wrote, underscoring the potential impact of such prolonged suspensions.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundations for Defense of Democracies, echoed Torres's concerns, questioning why United Airlines continues to offer flights to Dubai while bypassing Israel. Meanwhile, Arsen Ostrovsky, CEO of the International Legal Forum, publicly supported Torres’s stance, calling his letter "absolutely right."

Torres, a progressive Democrat, has consistently positioned himself as a staunch ally of Israel, especially following the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel. He has been a vocal advocate for Israel’s right to defend itself and has criticized unsubstantiated accusations of "genocide" in Gaza. Additionally, Torres has condemned university administrators for failing to protect Jewish students facing threats on campus.

As tensions continue in the region, Torres’s bold defense of Israel serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges the Jewish state faces on both international and domestic fronts.

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