Special operation for one child: how Israel supports citizens during quarantine

Haifa resident Igor Rubin on your Facebook page shared an amazing story about how one message from a desperate father was the beginning of a whole international special operation, which helped to safely transport a 6-year-old child from Belarus to Israel during quarantine.

Photo: Shutterstock

6-year-old Daniel lives with his mother in Belarus and has been flying to his father in Israel alone for several years, using the service of accompanying children on flights. Due to the fact that Belarus turned out to be one of the few countries where the authorities do not make great efforts to protect citizens from coronavirus, the parents decided that it would be better for the child to live with his father in Israel for some time. “Life there goes on as usual, there are local football matches that are broadcast today all over the world... Not the safest place to be right now, especially for a child,” the father wrote on his account.

To the joy of the parents, the opportunity appeared to buy a ticket for a son on a direct flight Minsk - Haifa, which they did. But one of the conditions of the Israeli authorities was a two-week observation at the hotel of each passenger upon arrival in the country. For a six-year-old child, this was an impossible condition. While his father was thinking about how to solve the problem, a relative called him and said that he saw on social networks the phone number of the Israeli Minister of Transport himself!

On the subject: 'Numerous cases': doctors called another unobvious symptom of coronavirus

“It took me several hours to write to Bezalel Smotrich. To be more precise, I wrote to him on Saturday at 22:59, and just a few minutes later I received a response that he understood the situation and would inform the Ministry of Defense about my problem. He asked me to talk the next day with the head of the department of the Ministry of Defense, Itay Gershkowitz. It was very strange for me, as an ordinary citizen, to receive an answer from the country’s leadership in such a lightning-fast time. I think everyone would feel this way in such a situation, and this is just the beginning of the story,” Igor says in his post.

The Israeli authorities entered the position of Igor Rubin and promised to help, but just before the plane left Minsk, Belavia airline representatives refused to take Daniel aboard, arguing that they could not accompany the child in view of the quarantine situation. Despite the assistance of the authorities, the situation was such that the boy could never fly away, because only a few hours remained before the flight.

“With trembling hands, I took the phone and dialed Itai Hershkowitz again. It's 18:46 and I explain to him that my child is not flying. He tells me that all the permits have been processed and there will be no problems upon arrival in the country. I answer that the Belarusians are not allowing him to board the flight. “If you called the Israeli Ambassador in Minsk, and the Ambassador called the CEO of Belavia, and the CEO of BELAVIA called the CHECK IN counter, perhaps this would give my child the opportunity to board the flight.” I don’t know where I got the courage or audacity to ask for this, but I was shocked to hear on the other end of the line, “I’ll do it,” writes Igor Rubin.

On the subject: Fun and useful videos: everything you need to know about coronavirus

Soon, a representative of the Israeli Ministry of Defense called back the excited Igor Rubin and said: “I spoke with the ambassador, the ambassador spoke with the general director of BELAVIA. The general manager contacted the check-in desk - your child will fly on this flight." Igor immediately noted: “But there are only 15 minutes left before departure.” A short answer immediately followed: “This plane will not fly without your son.”

As a result, the flight was really delayed, and they managed to take the boy on board, putting him in business class. Daniel landed at the appointed time in Ben Gurion and, together with his father, went to a two-week quarantine at his home.

“In these moments, I am proud to be an Israeli citizen! “I immigrated to Israel at the age of 15 through the Na’ale 16 project, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and I have never felt such pride in Israel as I do now,” the boy’s father does not hide his emotions.

In an effort to keep its readers informed of the latest news on the situation with the coronavirus, ForumDaily has collected the most recent data on infections and deaths in one text that we regularly update.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How to get a refund for canceled travel, events and services

When the most difficult is over: a Ukrainian in China spoke about life in quarantine and after it

Features of national quarantine: how different societies behave in a pandemic

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.