Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp warning Thursday following hours of chaos at Ben Gurion Airport caused by a surprise work stoppage that stranded and delayed thousands of passengers.

“Ben Gurion Airport will remain open and continue operating as usual. Anyone who stands in the way will be fired,” Netanyahu said.

The warning followed severe disruptions at Israel’s main airport, where check-in counters were shut down and passenger and baggage services were heavily disrupted. Airport operations were halted at 2 p.m., with arrivals and departures gradually resuming beginning at 3 p.m. as the flight schedule was reorganized.

The disruption erupted after workers launched a surprise slowdown, with four ground-service companies halting passenger handling. The action came on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Nearly 100,000 passengers are currently passing through Ben Gurion Airport each day on approximately 600 flights. During Thursday’s chaos, massive crowds formed around baggage carousels, with some passengers reportedly waiting as long as four hours for their luggage.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who is on a private vacation in Morocco, instructed Israel Airports Authority management to petition the Labor Court against the workers’ committee.

Regev called the action a “bullying strike,” saying, “Whoever made the decision to take the citizens of Israel hostage will pay the price.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also blasted the unions, saying Israelis could no longer be held “hostage” by powerful workers’ committees and calling for action against what he described as organizations capable of paralyzing the country.

The Histadrut’s Transportation Workers Union denied ordering any shutdown, saying that “no instruction was issued to stop work.” The union blamed the chaos instead on a severe and ongoing manpower shortage and insufficient preparation for the summer travel rush.

The Israel Airports Authority, however, said the disruptions were carried out “at the instruction of the workers’ committee.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)