The flying protester

But what troubles me is the ongoing plight of air travellers. Flying abroad is the hobby most middle-class Israelis share. We cram into Ben Gurion Airport while our economic power is gradually being eroded. This is no laughing matter. Middle class Israelis sometimes have to forgo duty-free shopping because of rising air fares. So I am sounding the alarm: They are approaching the breaking point in which they can no longer withstand the cost of international flights. My friends, it is only a matter of time before the international flight protest will rear its ugly head and come back to bite us.

The disparity between the average airfare for an international flight and the median income in Israel has grown by several dozen percentage points since the end of the Second Intifadah (full disclosure: these figures have yet to be corroborated, but is there anyone in the press who actually checks facts these days-).

Come to think of it, it's safe to say that Israelis are discriminated against when compared to those in the rest of the developed world. An OECD report - which may or may not be published soon - will show Israel at the end of the list in the number of international carriers per capita. It will show that international air travellers' so called "flying power" has been suffering a constant depreciation, all the while the wealthy fly on the taxpayers' dime and pension without being held accountable. Israel's international air travellers will not let others step on them as they board the plane. The travelling class shall hold its head up high and say "no more!"

Friends, protest action against high flight prices are just a matter of time. It is safe to assume that they will be launched via Facebook and Twitter, and will be led by an aerial protest organization. They will launch thousands of kites over the Ariel Sharon Park, formerly the Hiriya waste dump, with the goal of blocking arrivals and departures to Ben Gurion International Airport. The second phase will involve unification with the tent protesters on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv.

In order to carry out the merger phase, some tents will be emptied of their former residents, paving the way for a “protest tribute:” Departure and landing of dozens of model airplanes at all hours of the day. The “tribute” will, of course, be carried out by the Israeli Academy of Model Aeronautics, also recruited to the struggle. While they have the opportunity, the model airplane enthusiasts will take the opportunity to raise the taxes on the import of remote-control operated toys -- a lofty purpose in all opinions.

Well, certainly cynics will now come and ask: what exactly do the protesters want? If so, this strategic issue must be dealt with. Protest headquarters is already cementing the list of demands ahead of time, intended for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Minister Israel Katz, and the Israel Ports Authority. Firstly, the protesters want to unfreeze lands for the building of additional airports, and to turn the Nevatim airport into an international airport without delay. A further demand is that the government provide incentives and benefits to less-expensive airlines, so that additional routes can be added between Europe and Israel. The nation demands justice in aviation!

It would be easy to characterize the protest already underway as a series of selfish demands by a spoiled generation with an overblown sense of entitlement, but it's important to point out that the protesters aren’t doing this for themselves but for the future of all of our children. We don't want to live in a country where people can't fly to a Barcelona soccer match at Camp Nou, or a Madonna concert in Budapest. They may say to us, "You spoiled brats, fly to Rhodes for 99 dollars," to which I would reply, "You fly to Rhodes!" It is not acceptable for the wealthy moguls to ghettoize us, tourists of meager means, at beach clubs in Anatolia and Greece. We want Rome, Paris and New York, just like everyone else.

And by the way, as one of the organizers, I must clarify that the slanderous rumors are not true and this protest is not meant to damage the livelihood of thousands of travel agency employees. We embrace you and call on you to join our protest in solidarity.

But the most important thing is that this protest not become political and serve as a battleground for fat cats from the Airports Authority and Transportation Ministry. We are tired of words, we want to see action. Take us abroad, for cheap, we don't care how. We deserve to fly comfortably this summer. Even in a supertanker.