Netanyahu Files Petition to Expel Airport Workers' Union Head from Likud Over Ben Gurion Chaos

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially petitioned the Likud party's Supreme Court to expel Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Airport Authority workers' union, from the party. This move follows the recent strike at Ben Gurion Airport that caused widespread chaos and flight disruptions. Netanyahu had already announced his intention to remove Idan, who denies calling a strike and claims the crisis was due to management decisions rather than worker actions.

The petition argues that the timing of the disruption, occurring a day after Netanyahu and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli visited the airport, was deliberately chosen to harm the government and the Likud party. Idan responded by writing to Netanyahu and Minister Miri Regev, asserting there was no strike or planned labor action, and no financial demands were made by workers during the incident.

The airport authority blamed the union for illegal and disruptive strikes that damaged the public and the economy, prompting Netanyahu to instruct the Likud party to expel Idan. Thousands of passengers were stranded amid flight cancellations and luggage backlogs. The union claims the crisis stemmed from severe understaffing and excessive work hours for baggage handlers, which management ignored despite repeated warnings. Idan highlighted that workers were physically strained and unable to continue after long shifts, while the authority accused stevedores of deliberately striking, causing partial shutdowns at the airport.