El Al's track record is not the best, when it comes to religious sensitivity. The religious sector has the right to buy tickets and use any airline it wants. El Al has the right to violate the Sabbath--- and bear the economic consequences. Hopefully, a compromise can be reached. If there was a true security concern, that concern should be conveyed to the rabbis, who will undoubtedly take that into consideration. My suspicion, however, is that El Al management is insensitive to the sanctity of the Sabbath--which means its workers do not get a day off, among other things. The Jewish State and major companies are capable of better.

plus go B airways, all of you.

I think I am gonna stop flying ElAL not because they are not flying shabbat ,but because I do not want to rely on an airline where the manager is a rabbi ! Shame on ELAL.

How low can EL AL grovel to fanatical blackmailers ? What about EL AL's reponsibility to its other clients to get them to their destinations ?

to enjoy being held to ransom by a bunch of hooligans. I'm switching to British Airways now. I wouldn't mind, but ElAl is not even owned by the government!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I work for El Al, and all of El Al's employees have Shabbat off. Nobody has to work, but those who chose to work are given hefty compensation in return.

Besided the major security concerns Israel faces, the internal squabbling over stupidity makes me sick. How dare they try to dictate how the rest of the world lives their lives and call themselves Jews. And why El Al has bent over to take it from them I don't know. Why doesn't someone organize a non religeous strike against the airline for doing everything to cater the Haradim and nothing to cater to the rest of the world. Why doesn't ELAL just upon up a haradi airline with seperated seating for men and women and a place to pray. They could sell tickets to the Iranians also. Keep all the zelots together.

These rabbi's continually push their way into everyone's affairs. They are trying to maintain their control over everything in this world. Their only job is to teach Torah and hold a regular job like the rest of us. The great sages worked and this is how they knew Torah. We must stop giving into them, thus legitimizing their self appointed positions of authority. The Talmud states that we will get the mashiakh we never wanted, this is why the rabbi's don't want his arrival because they will loose their self appointed power and control. The secular will have a much easier time with what's coming. Go figure!!

it's so sad to see a corporation like ELAL being manipulated by a such an un-righteous group of fanatics in the 21st century. stop giving in to this cult hiding under the cover of judaism!!

tickets again to El Al.They'd all fortunately been dished out to the honest nonhypocritical secular section, so they were left with British. Hope this time too. Maybe the easter eggs will have eida chareidit stickers, like the meaningless sun dor( ie El Al) shabbat stickers...

and anyway, who's the boss? AGAIN religious coercion

This time next year El Al will be issuing written apologies for flying over Reform Rabbis and girls in short skirts. I'm now actually hoping they go out of business and a more responsible national carrier takes over Israel's skys.

Is this going to be a regular occurence? They fly on Shabbos, They apoligize...and a couple of weeks later the scenario repeats.

To all of those who bash El Al for 'caving' in to the Hareidim.... OK, let it be your way. Keep your airline. we ALL Hareidim will fly Continental, BA, Lufthansa, etc.. And when El Al will file Chapter 11 due to them loosing abou 30% of their customers, you will ALSO end up flying Continental, BA, Lusthansa, etc.

teh secular taliban for get that in the time of the temple we would have to punish all the jews did not keep SABBAT so if you dont like the jewish laws why dont you go to europe

but you always come crawling and begging to come back back...flights were filled without you and you pleaded for tickets...stay with the goyim,specially b.a. What a ghastly airline. You'll come crawling back again tho'.

'religious' passengers that El Al HAD TO put up in London. They had no right booking such a flight from Canada in the first place. They knew full well they were going to be in transit so close to Shabbat, and that flights can, and do, get delayed, so they should have left Canada earlier or later. That's the deal when you're religious, and we all know it! . Probably why there were only five of them. Other religious passengers, like us, would show more responsibility in flight plans. Their luggage went on without them, and they were stranded without suitable clothing. Silly self righteous and self centred people.

I dont think El Al tries to descrate the shabbat purposely, otherwise they would try to violate more often. there are times when emergency landings and re-routings need to take place. As these are the exception and not the rule givethe airline a break. This is just a sign of the schism amongst us Israelis and Jews. Would it not be better that religious Jews show an allegiance to the only airline in world history to have 100% kosher food, shomer shabbat. This is probably the only airline in the world where one can pray as a Jew in a minyan without having to feel ashamed about being jewish. If mistakes are made, and they will be, discussions are in order. perhaps having a religious Jew sitting in on meetings. No one does things like this purposely. I actually felt alot of pride when El Al and the Israeli government sought rabinnic permission to vioate the shabbat to transport Ethiopian Olim. Granted the situation is different, but it shows a record of good faith. I think discussions with El Al rather than threats are better. threats tend to alienate people, it's polarizing and unfortuanate since most of the world is against us.

Maybe the plane should have not stopped and continued with the problem they were having. We would have less complaints due to the ones that didn't survive the crash. Don't be so fenatical things happen beyond our control. Rob