Vaadas HaRabbonim LeMaan Kedushas HaShabbos has made clear
that the public should disregard the misleading information
disseminated in the general media on an arrangement with El-
Al, and rather should rely solely on official Vaadas
HaRabbonim notices in Yated Ne'eman and
Hamodia. So far no agreement has been signed with the
airline.
"We are well aware of the monetary issues from the public's
perspective as well as the fact people want to arrange their
travel plans," said a Vaadas HaRabbonim spokesman. "As such
it would be rash to heed bits of information published by
irresponsible media outlets."
Organizers of Jerusalem Fellowships, a project run by
Yeshivas Aish HaTorah of Jerusalem, contacted Vaadas
HaRabbonim regarding a group of 1,000 students scheduled to
fly to Eretz Yisroel to participate in the outreach program.
Since travel arrangement have to be made soon, the organizers
requested an update on the negotiations with El-Al, saying
that if an agreement is not reached soon they would have to
make a deal with another airline.
Chareidi travel agents have not been selling any seats on El-
Al flights in recent weeks in light of the calls issued by
gedolei Yisroel not to patronize the company until
further notice. One veteran travel agent said over the past
month he sold more tickets on Continental Airlines than he
typically sells in an entire year.
Demand for seats on El-Al flights has dropped significantly.
Last week the Thursday afternoon flight from Tel Aviv to New
York, which is usually packed and has a long waiting list,
flew with dozens of unoccupied seats.
More and more gedolei Torah and admorim have
been signing the boycott announcement being prepared in the
event El-Al officials refuse to comply with the demands
stipulated by gedolei Yisroel.
On Sunday members of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America
signed the notice during a meeting held at Yeshivas Chaim
Berlin. The meeting was attended by the rosh yeshiva, HaRav
Aharon Shechter, HaRav Avrohom Chaim Levine, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Telz-Chicago, HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Philadelphia, HaRav Aharon Feldman, rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, HaRav Simcho Bunim
Ehrenfeld, gavad of Mattersdorf, and the Admor of Novominsk,
who serves as Rosh of Agudas Yisroel of America.
Rabbi Shmuel Bloom, executive vice president of Agudas
Yisroel of America, presented the rabbonim with a report on
the negotiations Vaadas HaRabbonim LeMaan Kedushas HaShabbos
members and their legal representative, Atty. R' Yaakov
Weinroth, are conducting with El-Al officials. Rabbi Bloom
also conveyed a request by gedolei Yisroel in Eretz
Yisroel for America's chareidi Jewry to support the battle
for the sanctity of Shabbos.
The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah members immediately decided to
add their signatures to the notice and asked Rabbi Bloom to
notify all 750 rabbonim associated with Agudas Yisroel of
America that at present flying on El-Al is an act of
chilul Hashem and there is no heter to
patronize the company, even in cases of significant monetary
loss.
