El Al prevented an ultra-Orthodox passenger from flying wrapped in a plastic bag this Friday, even returning the taxiing plane to its parking spot at Ben-Gurion Airport in order to remove him from the aircraft. Faced with this threat, the passenger agreed to remove the bag. The passenger, a cohen (member of the priestly caste), had wrapped himself in the bag for fear the plane would fly over the Holon cemetery. Cohanim are not supposed to enter a cemetery, and a leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi has ruled that flying over one is equivalent. El Al denies that its planes fly over the cemetery when leaving Israel, and says the plastic bags violate safety regulations. (Zohar Blumenkrantz)
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