Netanyahu Files Urgent Petition to Expel Airport Workers' Union Head Pinchas Idan from Likud

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his conflict with Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Airport Authority Workers' Committee, by filing an urgent petition to the Likud Supreme Court demanding Idan's expulsion from the party. The petition, submitted on Netanyahu's behalf by Likud legal advisor Ilan Bombach, follows Netanyahu's directive issued the previous evening to initiate Idan's removal after severe disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport, which Likud described as a "wild and illegal strike."

The petition argues that the disturbances were not routine operational issues but a politically motivated strike aimed at undermining the government and the Likud party. This contradicts Idan's explanation that the disruptions stemmed from a severe staffing shortage rather than a planned strike. Netanyahu and Bombach also reference a 2024 Likud court ruling related to Idan's involvement in a previous political strike during protests against judicial reforms, which temporarily spared him expulsion after he expressed remorse and promised not to repeat the behavior.

Now, Netanyahu contends that recent events demonstrate Idan has repeated his conduct, justifying his removal from the party. The petition has been forwarded to the Likud party court for a decision. Unlike a political announcement, terminating Idan's Likud membership requires formal party proceedings, and past attempts to expel him have shown the process is not automatic.