Dulles, VA – Hundreds of Jewish people headed to Tuesday’s pro-Israel rally in DC were left stranded when bus drivers staged “a deliberate and malicious walk-off,’’ a major Jewish organization said.
The ramifications of this “anti-protest” were particularly felt by approximately 900 people aboard three chartered flights originating from Detroit, stranded on the Dulles Airport tarmac for over seven hours. This led to their ultimate return home, causing them to miss the entirety of the March for Israel event.
Expressing his incredulity at the situation, Jonathan Kaufman conveyed his astonishment, labeling the obstruction to their rally participation as “nuts” and “crazy.” The stranded group faced an agonizing wait, prompting frantic attempts to discern the reasons behind their predicament. Kaufman asserted, “Our right to assembly is a constitutional right, and this was straight up blocking that.”
Chartered by the Jewish Federation of Detroit, the three private planes were complemented by several buses, organized to transport nearly 1,000 ralliers to the march at the National Mall in D.C. However, the majority of the assigned buses failed to materialize on the tarmac upon landing at 10:30 a.m., leaving only a fraction of passengers able to participate in the march. A spokesperson for the federation attributed this to a “mass sick out” orchestrated by the drivers, significantly hindering the attendees.
The CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, William Daroff, confirmed the deliberate refusal of bus drivers to transport the attendees to the pro-Israel event. Those left behind endured approximately three hours on the tarmac before being directed to several buses, only to be promptly ejected when it became apparent that these buses were not designated for their group.
Due to the requirement for pre-arranged vehicular transportation for chartered flights to depart the tarmac, those unable to board the limited buses were compelled back onto the plane, resulting in a missed opportunity to partake in the day-long rally. Additionally, they faced a prolonged wait for their team members who did manage to attend the rally before the chartered flights could return to Michigan.
Kaufman, who invested substantial funds to attend the march with his mother, condemned the walkout as a “deliberate antisemitic act,” emphasizing that it would be labeled a “hate crime” if perpetrated against any other ethnic group. He lamented, “This is a historical moment — and I would have loved to be part of it.”
Initially informed that buses were struggling to navigate security, the group later discovered the truth about the ongoing walkout by bus drivers. The disheartening situation unfolded over hours, with the stranded passengers learning about the shortage of drivers hindering their entry into D.C.
The potential legal repercussions of the bus company’s actions were underscored by Brooke Goldstein, a human rights lawyer and founder of The Lawfare Project. She asserted that any company blatantly refusing services to Jewish people engages in unlawful discrimination. Goldstein emphasized the scale of the alleged discrimination faced by these Jewish individuals on a day when allies gathered to express unity and support for the Jewish community.
Despite their circumstances, the stranded flight passengers staged a makeshift march on the tarmac, waving Israeli flags and singing “Am Yisrael Chai” before being ushered back inside the plane to await the return of the fortunate few from their group who attended the rally.
The plight of the Detroit group was not an isolated incident, as another contingent in Westport, Conn., intending to travel to the pro-Israel rally via two chartered buses, faced a similar predicament. The transportation firm cited a scheduling error and canceled the buses, prompting the marchers to improvise, piling into 38 cars to make the 280-mile journey to D.C.
