Ban on Flying Out of Israel During the War with Iran: ACRI's Position
- ACRI
- Jun 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 19
On June 17, 2025 ACRI contacted the Minister of Transportation and the CEO of the Israel Airports Authority following reports that with the closure of Israeli airspace due to the war with Iran, air departures from Israel would only be possible for tourists and diplomats, not for Israeli citizens. The next day, we sent a similar request to the Minister of Transportation and the Director of the Shipping and Ports Authority regarding the ban on leaving the country by ship.
Main points of ACRI’s petition:
The right to leave the country is a fundamental, constitutional right anchored in Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. The denial of the ability to leave Israel by air violates this right, as well as other rights such as the right to health and the right to family.
Any violation of a fundamental right requires explicit authorization by law, the existence of a fitting reason for violating this right, and proportionality.
The Minister of Transportation and the Israel Airports Authority have not indicated a legal basis authorizing them to impose a blanket ban on citizens' departure from Israel by air. The Minister of the Interior has the authority to prohibit a citizen's departure from the country in individual cases, but not as a blanket measure for the entire public.
The government must clarify what it considers to be the source of its authority to prohibit citizens from flying out of the country, the purpose of the ban, and whether it meets legal requirements.
Even if the state has authority to prohibit departures from the country by flights for security reasons, it cannot be a blanket ban without any clear end point.
Insofar as departure from Israel by flight is possible, it cannot be exclusive to foreign citizens.
Insofar as the government can point to a legal source granting it the authority to prohibit flights, it must establish clear criteria for imposing the ban, a system for exceptions, the possibility of appealing, and must ensure that everything is conducted publicly and transparently.
ACRI's petition, June 17, 2025 (Heb)
We have not forgotten: 🛑 Stop the killing and starvation in Gaza 🛑 Stop the abandonment of the hostages 🛑 End the war. Now.
