Iran and its proxies’ vow to attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh has prompted some Israel trip providers to cut their tours short and some participants to opt to leave early out of both security concerns and as most international airlines have halted their flights into and out of Ben Gurion Airport.

The more than 100 participants on this year’s Ramah Seminar returned to North America on a chartered flight Sunday night instead of on Wednesday as originally planned. 

“Our program was supposed to end on Wednesday, but because of the flight cancellations of several airlines, we were forced to move up the conclusion of the program. We chartered a plane to get everyone out together,” Yael Yamin, the recently installed executive director of Ramah Israel, told eJewishPhilanthropy.

Birthright Israel, which has some 1,500 participants in Israel, did not cut short any of its flagship 10-day trips or have any groups opt to leave Israel early, a spokesman told eJP. However, the organization did see that approximately 15%-20% of the groups that were meant to fly to Israel have decided to hold off on their trips, he said.

In addition, most of the participants of the Birthright Israel Excel Fellowship, 39 out of 64, left Israel a few days before the end of the 10-week program, which puts North American university students in internships with Israeli firms.

The Birthright Israel spokesman stressed the organization’s dedication to participants’ safety, constantly coordinating the trips’ schedules with Israeli authorities and adapting to security needs.

Other trip providers catering to young adults have not altered their programs, leaving the decision to leave early up to participants. 

“Masa [Israel] hasn’t put out any irregular statements on the subject. Whoever is interested in returning, going early, cutting short their stay is able to do so at any stage,” a Masa spokesperson said. 

The cancellation of flights by most carriers — notably United Airlines and Delta, as well as most large European airlines — has significantly disrupted international travel to and from Israel during what is normally the country’s busiest time for vacations ahead of the start of the school year.

August 2023 saw an average of 94,300 passengers pass through Ben Gurion Airport each day, according to Israel’s Airports Authority. This week has seen a roughly 40% reduction, with less than 60,000 passengers flying into or out of the airport daily.