Pres. Herzog welcomes Israelis returning on rescue flights amid war as symbol of freedom

Not many can boast they were welcomed at the airport by the president of Israel, but a group of Israelis who had been stranded abroad until a rescue flight was sent to bring them home can now add this story to their repertoire.

President Isaac Herzog greeted the returning Israelis, saying it was “an inspiring phenomenon.”

Despite assumptions to the contrary, Israelis have been trying to get back into Israel in greater numbers and with considerable determination since the start of the war with Iran on February 28. 

“People want to return home, enter Israel, and bear the burden together - even under shelling, with sirens, alarms, shelters, and many threats,” said Herzog. “And yet, we overcome the challenges and manage to do so in an extraordinary way."

אין עוד עם בעולם שעושה הכל כדי לשוב למדינתו בזמן מלחמה.
זכינו היום לקבל בנתב״ג את פניהם של אזרחיות ואזרחים שנחתו בטיסת חילוץ.
רגע מרגש שממחיש את רוחו המיוחדת של עם ישראל 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/55ZVx5NyGC

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) March 16, 2026

Herzog drew a link between their arduous journey home and the challenges faced by the ancient Israelites on their way to the Promised Land.

“There is also a symbolism in this that connects to Passover, the holiday in which we talk about leaving slavery and freedom,” he suggested. “This Passover, we are also talking about returning to Israel, about entering home, especially to return safely.”

Around 100,000 Israelis have now been repatriated as part of the government-organized operation “Lion’s Wings." A further 20,000 are still stranded overseas and wanting to come home, the vast majority of whom are in distant locations, mainly in Southeast Asia and North America, according to the Transport Ministry.

The number of Israelis coming back into Israel is considerably higher than the number of those who have left, according to Population and Immigration Authority statistics.

Herzog thanked the Airport Authority and its chairman, Maj.-Gen. Yiftah Ron Tal and Director General Sharon Kedmi for their efforts to ensure the airport remains operational amid the wartime situation.

He also expressed appreciation for Transportation Minister Miri Regev and the Civil Aviation Authority, thanking them for “the risk assessments, performance analysis, and the professional work being done to ensure that everyone returns safely, while military operations continue as usual.”

The president was given a tour of the control tower to see it in operation and to assess the airport’s status and ongoing wartime operational challenges, JPost reported.

Stranded Israelis have also faced considerable obstacles in their efforts to get home. Recently repatriated Haifa resident, Sharona Redecker, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS, “It was awful to be cut off out there,” speaking of her experiences of being stranded in the UK while her husband was in Israel.

“When I was told that my flight had been postponed, my mind was just reeling. I was just in a panic, I've just got to get home, I've just got to get home, I've got to get home. I want to be there,” she said.

Similarly, Israeli singer and songwriter Carolyn Hyde wrote on social media, “There is nothing worse than listening to your children and grandchildren literally give blow-by-blow descriptions from their shelters of missiles landing near their homes as Northern Israel is currently under attack.”

Describing check-in at Heathrow, Redecker recalled, “It was just surreal. There was this guy making a joke about how only Israelis are rushing home to be there in a time of war.” When they were checking off names for the repatriation flight, she said, “I was just thinking, oh God, I just please just let my name be on there. 
And just the relief when she found my name! Every seat that was booked was taken, obviously."

“I remember walking towards the plane, I was really so choked up. I was literally choked up, like I've never been in a long time, just to see the body of the El Al plane,” said Redecker.