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Israelis Not Worried About Flight Ban To Israel

WILKES-BARRE — Even though flights from the U.S. to Israel are banned for 24 hours, people who live in our area and have family in Israel, or strong ties ...

WILKES-BARRE -- Even though flights from the U.S. to Israel are banned for 24 hours, people who live in our area and have family in Israel, or strong ties to the country, say if they could, they would go in a heartbeat.

We spoke with an Israeli-American dual citizen in Wilkes-Barre. He's the executive director of the Jewish Community Alliance. He's lived in Israel on and off for 25 years and still has family there. He says this FAA flight ban to the Middle Eastern country doesn't have him worried.

With a temporary ban on flights into Israel, airlines nationwide are scrambling to cancel flights, but people with ties to the country say they're not worried at all.

"This may be somewhat of a premature reaction to a situation."

Danny Goldberg just started as executive director of the Jewish Community Alliance in Wilkes-Barre. He's a dual Israeli-American citizen. His sister lives in Tel Aviv.

His children have a trip planned to Israel in September and he's lived in the country on and off for 25 years.

"Hamas, which is a known terrorist organization, goal here is to disrupt normal civilian life in Israel, and this actually plays right into their hands," Goldberg said.

Debby Chernus of Kingston has visited Israel twice. She says the rocket that landed near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv which led to the temporary ban doesn't scare her either.

"I think Israel's defense system is compatible with United States."

Both say violence has become somewhat of a way of life for Israelis and what they've learned is that life goes on.

"If life were to work out that way and I could jump on a plane tonight out of JFK and be in Israel tomorrow morning, landing at that same airport, I would love to do that," said Goldberg.

The flight ban to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel is only temporary. For now, it's expected to last 24 hours.

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