Electronic Intifadah
Ali Abunimah
Air France demanded to know the religion of a passenger on a flight from Nice to Tel Aviv and removed her because she is not a Jew.
The 15 April incident, confirmed by an Air France official, may violate international and European law by subjecting prospective passengers to illegal religious discrimination.
Over the past few days, Israeli authorities have reacted to an effort by hundreds of European travelers to visit the occupied West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians by stationing hundreds of armed police and soldiers at the main international airport at Lydd, detaining and expelling travelers, and ordering European airlines to prevent boarding of travelers that Israel has placed on a political blacklist.
Several European airlines meekly complied with these Israeli orders, canceling tickets of those arbitrarily blacklisted by Israel.
The revelation that passengers are being subjected to religious tests takes this complicity with Israel’s apartheid policies to shocking new levels.
“Are you Jewish?”
The passenger’s account was published by the website of CAPJPO-Euro-Palestine and I have translated the following passage:
A young woman, Horia A., was allowed to check-in normally and then board the aircraft. But a few minutes before take off, a flight attendant arrived at Horia’s seat and asked Horia to come with her. Isolated in a corner of the aircraft, the embarrassed flight attendant asked her a first question:
“Madame, do you have an Israeli passport?”
Horia: “No.”
“She said no,” said the flight attendant into her walkie-talkie to the ground crew.
Flight attendant: “And now, are you of Israe.. um, are you Jewish?”
Horia: “no.”
Flight attendant into walkie-talkie: “Also, no”
During the next few minutes, Horia could see interactions and comings and goings among Air France personnel, before the flight attendant confirmed to her that she was forbidden to fly, citing “a very complex situation.”
Ali Abunimah
 |
French activists protesting European airlines canceling flytilla passenger flights, 2011. |
The 15 April incident, confirmed by an Air France official, may violate international and European law by subjecting prospective passengers to illegal religious discrimination.
Over the past few days, Israeli authorities have reacted to an effort by hundreds of European travelers to visit the occupied West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians by stationing hundreds of armed police and soldiers at the main international airport at Lydd, detaining and expelling travelers, and ordering European airlines to prevent boarding of travelers that Israel has placed on a political blacklist.
Several European airlines meekly complied with these Israeli orders, canceling tickets of those arbitrarily blacklisted by Israel.
The revelation that passengers are being subjected to religious tests takes this complicity with Israel’s apartheid policies to shocking new levels.
“Are you Jewish?”
The passenger’s account was published by the website of CAPJPO-Euro-Palestine and I have translated the following passage:
A young woman, Horia A., was allowed to check-in normally and then board the aircraft. But a few minutes before take off, a flight attendant arrived at Horia’s seat and asked Horia to come with her. Isolated in a corner of the aircraft, the embarrassed flight attendant asked her a first question:
“Madame, do you have an Israeli passport?”
Horia: “No.”
“She said no,” said the flight attendant into her walkie-talkie to the ground crew.
Flight attendant: “And now, are you of Israe.. um, are you Jewish?”
Horia: “no.”
Flight attendant into walkie-talkie: “Also, no”
During the next few minutes, Horia could see interactions and comings and goings among Air France personnel, before the flight attendant confirmed to her that she was forbidden to fly, citing “a very complex situation.”
Posts
