As Israel continues to pound Gaza, the country’s far-flung diaspora of reservist soldiers and volunteers has been finding their way back. Despite travel disruptions imposed by several global airlines that have canceled services to Tel Aviv, these Israeli citizens are cutting short vacations, diving into online chat groups, and rushing to airports worldwide — searching for flights to get home.
Stas Grinberg, who lives in Nashville with his wife and two young daughters, was at a music festival when he heard Hamas militants had breached Israel’s border, killing and injuring civilians during a Jewish holiday weekend. “My first thought was how am I going to get my family back,” he said, recounting his anxiety over the looming war. “So I started searching flights, calling every airline in the area.”
Flights from New York to Israel have been rerouted or delayed. However, reservists and volunteers could still find ways to get on board, even as many parents broke down at JFK Terminal Four, proudly watching their children boarding an El Al flight to fight. The Israeli national carrier added flights to accommodate the burgeoning demand and has even been chartering private jets in some cases.
Across the US, Israelis waited anxiously at airports for their scheduled flights, and many reservists gathered in social media groups to help each other. Rachel Gold, who lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons, raised money to buy supplies to bring back to Israel — 13 significant check-in cases, four carry-on bags, and multiple backpacks filled with items like head torches, flashlights, toothbrushes, bottled water, portable chargers, and protein bars.
Some reservists travel home to be with loved ones, others to fulfill their reserve duty and support Israel’s defense forces or families whom the violence has hit. In contrast, others say they feel compelled to do so after seeing what is happening in Gaza. The brutality of the Hamas attack has reignited traumas from the Holocaust for many Israelis. It has spurred a sense of responsibility to do whatever they can to defend their homeland.
Israelis rushed to the airport to book tickets from cities as varied as New York and London, Los Angeles and Paris, Bangkok and Athens. They have been relying on each other to locate available seats, and some have spent days trying to secure a spot on one of the scarce El Al flights.
The White House held a virtual conversation Friday with family members of the 14 Americans who have gone missing during the Gaza conflict, and President Joe Biden addressed their concerns. During the call, US officials urged them to remain strong and assured them the government would support them. Biden also invited family members to contact him directly with questions or requests for assistance.
