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The district court judge in Petach Tikva, Esther Stemmer sat in judgment following a request from the lawyers of Lufthansa and Swiss to cancel the writ issued by the Israel Travel Agents Association, served against them; arguing that they had not answered the criteria of a travel agent.  Stemmer: “Cancelling the writ from the Travel Agents Association – is not a bad option at all.”

During a meeting that took place at the district court in Petach Tikva, on the issue of the writ taken out by the Travel Agents Association against Lufthansa and Swiss; the judge recommended that the Agents Association withdraw their writ and be satisfied with the status quo that the two airlines are collecting handling fees according to their promises.

Judge Stemmer asked the Association’s lawyer. “The existing situation satisfies your position and serves your interests; so why do you insist on continuing with this hearing?”  The response received was that the travel agents cannot tolerate a situation where commission is cancelled and they have no control on the decisions of the airlines to continue charging the handling fees.

.After discussing the possibility of withdrawing the writ, the chairman of the Israel Tourist and Travel Agents Association, Yossi Fattal consulted with his lawyers and refused the judge’s suggestion, deciding to continue with the hearing procedure.  A short time before the proposal, Stemmer rejected a request from Lufthansa and Swiss to move the case to the Tel Aviv district court on the grounds that the Petach Tikva court is not authorized to discuss it.

Following the request to withdraw the Association’s lawsuit, the two airlines demanded from the court that the balance sheets of the travel agents be revealed, with the aim of rebutting the Agents Association’s claim that the new business model has caused them serious financial hardship.

In response to these matters, Ofer Kisch the general manager of Lufthansa in Israel said that the legal proceedings will continue in parallel to the business plans of the two companies.  “Today it became clear to me that the court also doesn’t really understand why we are bothering them.”