Rep. Ritchie Torres has written a letter to three U.S. airlines who have halted flights to Israel accusing them of “effectively boycotting” the country even as other non-American carriers have resumed flights without incident.

Delta, American and United Airlines, like many other airlines worldwide, temporarily suspended flights to Israel after last month’s preemptive strike by Israel on Hezbollah and the terrorist organization’s subsequent bombardment of rockets and drones at Israel. However, some airlines, including Air France and Aegean, have resumed flights to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

Torres, a Democrat representing the South Bronx who has been a staunch ally of Israel and has stood up to antisemitism predating the Israel-Hamas War, said the carriers had “arbitrarily and unilaterally” imposed their own ban on travel to Israel. This contrasts with the FAA’s 2014 decision forbidding air travel to Israel, which Torres noted was controversial at the time.

“By what logic and in what universe is it safe for El Al to travel to Israel but too dangerous for American Airlines, Delta, and United to do so?,” he questioned. “It is worth noting that UAE airlines like Etihad, FlyDubai and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi continue to fly to Israel without incident.”

Torres wrote to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and United CEO Scott Kirby.

“The suspension has been so prolonged and so pervasive that El Al, an Israeli airline, has become the sole carrier offering direct flights from America to Israel,” wrote Torres. “The lack of competition has made air travel to Israel less available and less affordable, putting customers at the mercy of a de facto monopoly that can easily gouge prices with impunity.”

In fact, El Al reported earning a record $80.5 million in the first quarter of 2024. Last year it reported a net loss of $34.4 million for the same period and a profit of $117 million for all of 2023.

“Airlines should be prohibited from effectively boycotting or otherwise discriminating against the world’s only Jewish State,” wrote Torres, adding that he was calling on all airlines to restore travel to Israel and to operate based on FAA guidance in order to avoid appearing to be boycotting Israel.

When contacted by The Jewish Link, United said it had nothing to add beyond its original reason of security concerns amid rising tensions in the region.

Delta had also cited “the ongoing conflict in the region” for its suspension. Spokesperson Morgan Durrant said the airline planned to resume flights between JFK and Tel Aviv on Oct. 31, adding, “Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed.”

Durrant referenced information on Delta’s News Hub, which was updated Aug. 21, stating seats on Delta’s partner airlines, Air France and El Al, are still bookable through Delta, and that anyone who booked a flight to or from Tel Aviv before Oct. 31 has received a travel waiver.

American Airlines acknowledged receiving the inquiry, but as of the end of the business day on Sept. 3, had not responded. It had previously announced it had suspended operations to Ben-Gurion International Airport through March 29, 2025.

“It is one thing to temporarily suspend air travel to Israel on security grounds as defined by the FAA,” said Torres. “But to unilaterally suspend air travel indefinitely until mid-2025, as American Airlines has done, has the practical effect of a boycott. Given the arbitrary length of the suspension, one could be forgiven for thinking that the BDS movement had taken over the American aviation industry without anyone noticing, much less crying foul.”

Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.