The moment 50 Jewish teenagers were kicked off a Vueling flight from Spain to France has sparked a fierce backlash online.
Footage shared on X shows a young woman from the group being restrained and arrested by the Guardia Civil. She is reported to be the 21-year-old chaperone of the trip.
The teenagers were part of a summer camp and were flying from Valencia to Paris Orly airport when the chaos unfolded on Wednesday.
The Israeli Ministry for the Diaspora was quick to brand the event ‘one of the most serious anti-Semitic incidents in recent memory.’
However, the airline, Vueling, defended its actions, stating that they were based solely on security concerns due to the group’s behaviour.
It said in a statement: ‘The actions of the onboard personnel responded exclusively to behaviour that compromised the integrity of the flight, as well as the safety of the passengers and the operation as a whole.’
According to Vueling, the minors ignored the crew’s instructions, interrupted the safety demonstration, tampered with emergency equipment and displayed a ‘highly conflictual attitude.’
It claimed that it warned the passengers ‘several times’ before being forced to request assistance.
The airline activated the corresponding protocols and requested the intervention of the Guardia Civil.
Despite the police presence, some members of the group continued their ‘violent’ behaviour, leading to the arrest of one of the chaperones, Vueling claimed.
The carrier vehemently denied that the incident was religiously motivated.
‘We categorically reject any form of discrimination. This decision was taken solely to ensure the safety of all passengers,’ it said in the statement.
The version of the Israeli authorities is quite different. Minister Amichi Chikli reported that the young people ‘were singing songs in Hebrew’ when they were expelled and accused a flight attendant of calling Israel a ‘terrorist state.’
He also stated that the chaperone was ‘beaten and arrested’ and that the children were left ‘stranded’ in Valencia.
One parent of the children told i24news channel that one of the kids ‘began to sing in Hebrew and they were immediately warned by the crew.’
Despite this, he admitted, his son then ‘began to scream,’ which allegedly escalated the tension.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) has demanded ‘detailed explanations and documentary evidence’ about what happened.
‘Singing and displays of euphoria on airplanes are not an isolated incident, and if these expressions were the cause of the incident, Vueling must clarify it,’ they said.
Read more Spain news at the Spanish Eye.
