Jewish passengers received Kosher meals with “Free Palestine” graffiti on a Spanish airline.
The Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), Argentina’s umbrella Jewish organisation, said the incident happened on an Iberia flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid on Monday.
One passenger, Salvador Auday, received a kosher meal with “Free Palestine” daubed on its packaging, while other Jewish passengers received trays with the initials “FP”.
“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,” Mr Auday told Vis á Vis, an Argentinian Jewish newspaper. He added that he believed that the words were written by one of the food supplier’s employees rather than a member of the aircrew.
“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,” said Mr Auday.
The DAIA said it condemned “this discriminatory act” and had contacted Iberia officials to demand and explanation and action.
A spokesman for Iberia said on Wednesday: “During the flight, some passengers who had ordered kosher food reported that handwritten pro-Palestinian messages appeared on their trays. The Iberia crew documented what had happened and got involved to assist those affected. The captain 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…”
