Israel’s national carrier El Al Airlines has decided to cancel flights to Ireland and Morocco due to a drop in demand for reservations following the pro-Hamas stance of the population in both nations after October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel, tortured and slaughtered more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 253 others.
The decision follows a series of anti-Irael statements by Ireland, whose Prime Minister Leo Vardakar in a tweet described nine-year-old Israeli hostage Emily Hand — who was freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza — as “an innocent girl who was lost and returned.”
Ireland has long expressed anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian Authority opinions on various issues.
In response to that blatant misrepresentation of the nightmare the young girl experienced, Israel’s then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote in a tweet, “It seems that you have lost your moral compass. Emily was not lost; she was kidnapped by a murderous terrorist organization that is worse than ISIS and murdered her stepmother. Emily and more than 30 other children were kidnapped by Hamas.”
As for Morocco, since October 7th tens of thousands of citizens have marched in solidarity with the Palestinian Authority and Gazans due to the long-standing affinities between them, including their religious, linguistic, and cultural similarities. Needless to say, Israelis loathe to place themselves in harm’s way and thus the popularity of the once-busy tourist destination has faded among Jews.
About a week ago, El Al announced it would cancel its flights to South Africa, another destination that is no longer popular after the country charged Israel with “genocide” in a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
“We continue to make adjustments to the flight schedule in accordance with your preferences,” El Al said in a statement. “Starting from the beginning of April 2024 and throughout the upcoming summer season, we will not resume our operations on routes to Dublin, Ireland and Marrakesh, Morocco, due to the ongoing security situation and the significant drop in demand.
“All passengers whose flights have been canceled will be duly informed and will be offered several alternatives. The cancelation of the routes allows for the expansion of our activity and the addition of hundreds of flights to existing sought-after destinations,” the airline added.
