Vueling Removes 44 French Jewish Children Over Alleged Unruly Behavior Spain-Paris Flight

A group of 44 French-Jewish minors and several adults were removed from a Vueling flight from Valencia to Paris after the airline and Spanish Civil Guard accused the group of disruptive and unsafe behavior, including tampering with emergency equipment and ignoring crew instructions. The Kineret Club, which organized the trip, strongly denied these claims, asserting the children were well-behaved, seated properly, and that their expulsion was unjustified and discriminatory, sparking allegations of antisemitism. Israeli officials and some eyewitnesses alleged the removals were motivated by anti-Jewish bias, citing incidents such as singing Hebrew songs and alleged hostile remarks by airline staff, including a claim that Israel was called a "terrorist state." Vueling and Spanish authorities have firmly rejected the religious discrimination allegations, emphasizing that the actions were taken solely for flight safety reasons and that the Civil Guard officers were unaware of the passengers' religious identity. The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain has called for transparent evidence from Vueling to clarify the situation amid conflicting accounts. Legal action has been initiated by the Kineret Club, demanding an investigation and public apology for what they describe as a humiliating and discriminatory treatment of the children.