Strictly Orthodox rabbi boycotts El Al over Athens Shabbat flight

“I wish to inform you that following negotiations over the last few days in which the disparagement of those who observe Shabbat and tradition has continued, if an unambiguous apology is not forthcoming by Sunday evening,” he wrote in a letter to Mr Usishkin on Friday, according to JTA, “we will be forced to work within the holy community towards a preference for other airlines who do not discriminate between different people, do not belittle that which is beloved and holy to the people of God and [who] appreciate their principles.”

But having not received a reply, Rabbi Sorotzkin appeared with a group of Strictly Orthodox Jews outside El Al’s headquarters on Sunday night and cut up his airline loyalty card.

The Boeing 747-458 took off with 400 passengers on board five-and-a-half hours after its scheduled departure time on November 15 — because of the snow that began falling that afternoon in New York.

There were conflicting reports of angry confrontations on board and an allegation that the pilot promised to allow passengers concerned about Shabbat to disembark at New York if they returned to their seats, only to take off minutes afterwards.