State Department to Evacuate Americans Stranded in Israel to Europe

By Reuvain Borchardt

NEW YORK — The U.S. State Department is set to begin chartered plane flights and boat trips to European countries to get stranded Americans out of Israel.

There will be flights to Athens or Frankfurt, and boats to Cyprus, starting Friday. Passengers will be responsible for their own lodging in, and onward travel from, Cyprus, Greece or Germany, but embassy officials there will be available to assist.

The war in Israel has resulted in the cancellation of flights by U.S. airlines and stranded many Americans who were visiting Israel for Sukkos and have been unable to leave, or others such as seminary students who want to come home for the duration of the war. Passengers who don’t have one of the precious few tickets available on a direct El Al flight to the U.S. have instead had to scramble to get on flights from other airlines to countries in Europe and often require multiple connecting flights before arriving home.

Elected officials, including congressmen who represent heavily Jewish districts in New York, have been pushing the Biden Administration to find prompt options to get Americans home.

The State Department has since early this week been asking Americans in Israel wishing to come home to register online, and it has begun reaching out to those who have signed up. Passengers will be informed by State of their flight or ship — they may not choose their destination, departure time or travel method.

No fare will be charged upfront, but passengers will have to sign a promissory note and pay the government at a later date. The price has not been announced.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), criticized the plan as insufficient, saying in a statement, “The State Department’s half-hearted evacuation of American citizens at their own expense is insulting and infuriating.”

“These are American citizens who are trapped in a war zone,” Lawler continued. “Hamas terrorists have already murdered more than 20 Americans and are indiscriminately killing civilian men, women, children, and the elderly. They shouldn’t be dropped off in some third party country and left to book their own travel home on their own dime. Poland, Canada, Hungary, Argentina, and the Netherlands have already been sending military planes to evacuate its citizens and bring them home. It is simply inexplicable that we have not done the same. Mr. President, Secretary Blinken, bring these Americans home now!”

Lawler told Hamodia earlier this week that he wants the Biden administration to either get U.S. airlines to begin flying to Israel — which would require working with airline labor unions and possibly indemnifying airlines against losses incurred form operating in a war zone — or, if that should fail, bringing Americans home on military jets.

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rborchardt@hamodia.com