Two gedolei Torah are being forced to remain overseas for Shabbos after their flights were diverted Friday morning due to the sudden closure of Israeli airspace. The disruption followed Israel’s major strike on Iranian nuclear targets overnight and fears of imminent retaliation, which prompted a broad shutdown of all air travel at Ben Gurion Airport.
Former Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef, returning from a chizuk mission in Canada, had been en route to Eretz Yisroel when his flight was redirected mid-air. He landed in Rome, Italy, and will be spending Shabbos there.
Rav Ezriel Auerbach, prominent posek and rov in Bayit Vegan, was also aboard a return flight to Israel after participating in the massive Adirei HaTorah event this past Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. His plane was rerouted to Larnaca, Cyprus, where he, too, is expected to remain through Shabbos.
The abrupt closure of Israeli airspace early Friday was implemented as part of emergency defense precautions following the IDF’s preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure. With expectations of a potential Iranian response, Israeli authorities opted to divert all inbound civilian aircraft.
The Torah world continues to respond to the developments with heightened tefillah and hisorerus.
{Matzav.com}