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Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Jewish passengers are served kosher meal with 'Free Palestine' written on them during flight to Spain
A Jewish passenger flying from Buenos Aires to Madrid on an Iberia flight was served a kosher meal with the phrase 'Free Palestine ' written on its packaging, according to the organisation representing Argentina's Jewish community. Other Jewish passengers on the flight who also ordered food found the abbreviation 'FP' written on their kosher meals, the group said. The incident occured on flight IB0102 which took off from Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires and landed at Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas shortly before 6.00 am on Monday. Jewish passenger Salvador Auday reported the incident to the airline crew, prompting the commander of the plane to directly apologise to the people impacted. 'I reported the incident to the head flight attendant, who took down the complaint, took photos, etc. They tried to apologise in every possible way,' Auday told the Argentinian Jewish newspaper Vis á Vis. 'Apparently, it wasn't any of the crew members, so if it came from outside, I'd imagine that Iberia will conduct an internal investigation of its suppliers and procedures. That's precisely why I reported it, so that it doesn't get forgotten,' he added. Following the incident, the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA) contacted the airline to 'demand explanations and immediate actions', adding: 'We condemn this discriminatory act.' The airline said it was conducting a 'thorough investigation' to determine how the situation unravelled. 'During the flight, some passengers who had ordered kosher food reported that handwritten pro-Palestinian messages appeared on their trays,' Iberia wrote in a statement. 'The Iberia crew documented what had happened and got involved to assist those affected. The commander personally approached them to apologise on behalf of the airline. 'Iberia is conducting a thorough investigation, both internally and with the external suppliers responsible for catering, intending to clarify what happened and take all appropriate measures. 'At Iberia, we categorically reject any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred or conduct that violates the dignity of individuals. 'Such behaviour is unacceptable and contrary to the values of respect and inclusion that are integral to our company's identity.' In July, dozens of French-Jewish students aged between 10 and 15 and several adults were escorted off Vueling flight V8166 as it waited on the tarmac at Valencia for 'unruly behaviour'. The expulsion of the 44 students amid reports they were endangering the safety of the flight sparked a row, with the carrier coming under fire for alleged anti-Semitism. A Spanish minister spurred on the row when he called the teenagers 'Israeli brats' in a now deleted post, sparking condemnation from French government ministers. Footage shared to social media appeared to show one adult member of the group being detained with handcuffs by Spanish civil guard officers in the walkway shortly after she was removed from the jet.
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
'Free Palestine' message on kosher meals spark outrage on Iberia flight
Iberia Airlines has launched an internal investigation after a Jewish passenger on flight IB102 from Buenos Aires to Madrid received a kosher meal labeled with the handwritten phrase 'Free Palestine,' according to Argentina's umbrella Jewish organization DAIA. The incident was reported by Salvador Auday, who told the airline's crew that several other unopened kosher meals on the flight also bore the initials 'FP,' which appeared to have been written with the same pen. The flight's final destination was reportedly in "Israel". Auday said he immediately alerted the head flight attendant, who documented the incident and offered apologies. "They tried to apologize in every possible way," he told Vis á Vis, an Argentinian Jewish newspaper. He speculated that an employee may have written the message of a catering supplier rather than an Iberia crew member. 'Apparently, it wasn't any of the crew members, so if it came from outside, I'd imagine that Iberia will conduct an internal investigation of its suppliers and procedures. That's precisely why I reported it, so that it doesn't get forgotten,' Auday said. In a statement released Tuesday, Iberia confirmed that passengers had reported 'handwritten pro-Palestinian messages' on their meal packaging. The airline emphasized that its crew responded to the complaints, and the captain personally apologized to the affected passengers. Iberia stated that it is now working closely with its catering providers to determine how the messages were added. The airline also stressed that it 'categorically rejects any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred, or behavior that undermines the dignity of individuals.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Iberia investigates ‘Free Palestine' message on kosher meals
MADRID: Spanish airline Iberia has launched an investigation after a passenger who ordered a kosher meal received food packaging marked with the words 'Free Palestine.' The incident occurred on a flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid, where several other Jewish passengers reportedly found their meal trays labeled with the initials 'FP,' standing for 'Free Palestine.' Argentina's Jewish umbrella organization, DAIA, condemned the incident as a 'serious act of antisemitism' and demanded immediate action from the airline. In a statement posted on X, DAIA said, 'We strongly condemn this discriminatory act and have contacted the airline authorities to demand explanations and immediate action.' The post included a photo of a meal tray with a handwritten label reading 'Free Palestine.' Kosher meals adhere to Jewish dietary laws, and the incident has raised concerns over discrimination. Iberia confirmed that passengers on the flight, which landed early Tuesday, reported 'handwritten pro-Palestinian messages' on their meal packaging. The airline stated, 'The Iberia crew documented the incident and took action to assist those affected. The captain personally approached them to apologise on behalf of the airline.' Iberia is conducting an internal investigation and coordinating with catering providers to determine how the labels were added. The airline emphasized its stance against discrimination, stating it 'categorically rejects any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred, or behaviour that undermines the dignity of individuals.' This incident follows another controversy last month involving Jewish passengers on a Vueling flight from Valencia, Spain. The airline removed dozens of French Jewish teenagers, citing disruptive behavior, including tampering with safety equipment. Some parents, however, claimed the removal was antisemitic, alleging their children were expelled after one teen sang a Hebrew song. Vueling, like Iberia, is part of the International Airlines Group (IAG). - AFP
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Iberia probes ‘Free Palestine' message on kosher meals
Spanish airline Iberia said Tuesday that it had opened an investigation after a passenger who requested a kosher meal received his food tray with the words 'Free Palestine' written on the packaging. Several other Jewish passengers on the flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid received meal trays marked with the initials 'FP' for 'Free Palestine,' according to DAIA, the umbrella organization of Argentina's Jewish community, calling it a 'serious act of antisemitism.' 'We strongly condemn this discriminatory act and have contacted the airline authorities to demand explanations and immediate action,' the group said in a message posted on X. The post included a photo showing a meal tray with a handwritten white label marked 'Free Palestine' in black letters. Kosher refers to food prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. In a statement, Iberia confirmed that some passengers on the flight that landed early Tuesday reported 'handwritten pro-Palestinian messages' on their meal packaging. 'The Iberia crew documented the incident and took action to assist those affected. The captain personally approached them to apologize on behalf of the airline,' the statement said. The airline said it was conducting an internal investigation and working with its catering providers to determine how the labels were added. Iberia also said it 'categorically rejects any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred, or behavior that undermines the dignity of individuals.' Last month, dozens of Jewish teenagers from France were removed from a Vueling flight departing Valencia in Spain. The airline said they had engaged in disruptive behavior including tampering with life jackets and oxygen masks. Some parents, however, alleged the removal was antisemitic, saying the group was expelled after one teen sang a song in Hebrew. Vueling is part of International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia, British Airways and the Irish airline Aer Lingus.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Arab News
Iberia probes ‘Free Palestine' message on kosher meals
MADRID: Spanish airline Iberia said Tuesday that it had opened an investigation after a passenger who requested a kosher meal received his food tray with the words 'Free Palestine' written on the packaging. Several other Jewish passengers on the flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid received meal trays marked with the initials 'FP' for 'Free Palestine,' according to DAIA, the umbrella organization of Argentina's Jewish community, calling it a 'serious act of antisemitism.' 'We strongly condemn this discriminatory act and have contacted the airline authorities to demand explanations and immediate action,' the group said in a message posted on X. The post included a photo showing a meal tray with a handwritten white label marked 'Free Palestine' in black letters. Kosher refers to food prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. In a statement, Iberia confirmed that some passengers on the flight that landed early Tuesday reported 'handwritten pro-Palestinian messages' on their meal packaging. 'The Iberia crew documented the incident and took action to assist those affected. The captain personally approached them to apologize on behalf of the airline,' the statement said. The airline said it was conducting an internal investigation and working with its catering providers to determine how the labels were added. Iberia also said it 'categorically rejects any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred, or behavior that undermines the dignity of individuals.' Last month, dozens of Jewish teenagers from France were removed from a Vueling flight departing Valencia in Spain. The airline said they had engaged in disruptive behavior including tampering with life jackets and oxygen masks. Some parents, however, alleged the removal was antisemitic, saying the group was expelled after one teen sang a song in Hebrew. Vueling is part of International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia, British Airways and the Irish airline Aer Lingus.P
