Tourists from North Rhine-Westphalia are still stuck in Israel and are hoping for a quick exit. After there was criticism that no return campaign was planned, the first special flight has now landed in Frankfurt.
It had previously been announced that Lufthansa was flying more than 660 German citizens and their family members from Israel to Frankfurt and Munich on its first three special flights. More would follow later this afternoon and tomorrow.
On Platform X, the Foreign Office announced that a ferry to Cyprus had also been organized for this afternoon. German citizens were informed about this via the so-called Elefand system, the ministry’s crisis preparedness list.
Holiday airline Condor is also bringing Germans back
In addition to Lufthansa, the holiday airline Condor also brings Germans home with special flights. An airline spokeswoman said two flights to Aqaba in Jordan are planned for Sunday in consultation with the Foreign Office. Aqaba is close to the border with Israel. The two Airbus aircraft would have a total of almost 500 seats.
When the Islamist Hamas terrorists attacked Israel over the weekend and killed hundreds of people there, it wasn’t just the Israeli population that was surprised. Many people from North Rhine-Westphalia also stayed in the country because they were on vacation or on pilgrimage there. They had experienced the dramatic days first hand and sometimes had problems getting back home.
Four special flights per day
The Foreign Office responded to criticism on Tuesday evening. Around 1,000 people are to be flown out per day on the special flights. According to the DPA, a fee of 300 euros per person is due.
4,500 Germans on list
The Foreign Ministry wanted to inform German nationals registered in the “Elefand” crisis preparedness list on Wednesday about how to book tickets for the special flights with Lufthansa.
German citizens who are not yet registered and want to leave the country should immediately add themselves to the list, it said.
NRW state government launches aid portal
The North Rhine-Westphalia state government has launched an internet portal aimed at people who are worried about relatives and friends in Israel. Among other things, important information about special flights will be published on the “ NRW-Infopunkt Israel ” page. The Federal Foreign Office strongly advises against traveling to Israel until further notice.
Travelers can cancel planned Israel flights free of charge
Anyone who has booked a package trip to Israel a long time ago can have it canceled free of charge by contacting their tour operator.
Experts say that traveling to Israel is unreasonable due to the current situation. That is why it is currently possible to withdraw from the travel contract without incurring cancellation fees. If trips are canceled by the organizer, guests have the option of either rebooking or requesting a refund of the travel price. If the flight doesn’t take place for a few weeks, it’s advisable to wait and see. Assuming that the situation in the Middle East suddenly improves again, organizers could find themselves at odds with the reimbursement of costs.
Young people from NRW back home
According to Baerbock’s ministry, at least 17 German youth groups were in Israel during the major Hamas attack. Four of them have so far left safely, it was said. Including two groups from Bonn and Essen who landed in Cologne that night. The leader of the youth group from Bonn was happy to have landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport. He was in Israel with the young people during the Hamas attacks and was only able to leave the country via a detour. Since Monday the route has led via Turkey and now home. “It’s been a long journey, we’ve been on the road since Monday – it felt like three days without sleep,” he said upon arrival at Cologne/Bonn Airport.
Gordon Wenzek from Essen also struggled with problems. He was in Israel as a supervisor with a youth group. On weekends they always had to go to an air raid shelter. Wenzek and the 16 and 17 year olds had been stuck in Israel for days. Because the regular return flight was canceled.
In the end, they left Israel two hours late because they had to go to a bunker at the airport because of a rocket alarm. From Tel Aviv we first went to Istanbul – from there to Cologne. The last stage was finally relaxed – with cars back to Essen.
But Wenzek would also have liked more support from the federal government. He got them from Essen instead. “The Essen city administration and Mayor Thomas Kufen have done things that the federal government apparently cannot do in order to fly us out,” he criticizes.
Those affected report difficulties – other countries get there earlier
Tourists are trying to get home quickly
Many of the German tourists said they had not received enough help from the Foreign Ministry. Other countries were active much earlier. Romania flew around 350 citizens from Israel on a plane on Saturday, and Bulgaria also brought back compatriots. Others were also planning return campaigns – for example Poland, Greece and Brazil.
Union called on the federal government to act
The foreign policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Jürgen Hardt (CDU), criticized the organization of the special flights. The Germans’ departure continues to be slow. “The undignified chaos surrounding the Germans’ departure has gone on long enough,” Hardt told the German Press Agency.
It is time for Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) to “act and declare the process a top priority. If necessary, military capacities must now be used to bring the Germans home.”
Source : Tages Schau
