A Vueling Airlines flight departing Valencia turned into controversy after the crew removed approximately 50 Jewish children and their summer camp director, prompting accusations of antisemitism and a strong response from Israeli officials.
According to Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, the children — aged 10 to 15 and part of the French Kinneret Club summer camp — were singing Hebrew songs on board when the crew ordered them to stop. When the camp director refused to comply with subsequent demands, the crew called Spain’s Guardia Civil. The director was arrested, while the children were forced to disembark.
Chikli described the event as a “serious antisemitic incident” and is demanding accountability from the Spanish airline. Footage of the removal quickly spread across social media, fueling anger among Jewish communities in Europe and beyond.
Witnesses Dispute Airline’s Claims
Some passengers not connected to the group have come forward to say the children behaved well. A French passenger told Le Parisien, “I didn’t hear any noise or screams. No one really understood what was going on. I was expecting to see someone drunk standing up, but no. Nothing.” Another passenger wrote on Instagram that the teenagers boarded calmly and left the plane politely when asked, despite the flight being delayed by more than two hours.
Vueling Responds
Vueling denied any religious bias, stating that the group’s “highly combative attitude” and mishandling of emergency equipment created a safety risk. “The actions of our crew were solely in response to behavior that compromised passenger safety,” the airline said in a statement.
The airline also claimed that the group acted aggressively toward authorities after leaving the plane, which led to the arrest of the camp director.
Legal Action and Corporate Pressure
The Kinneret Club summer camp announced plans to take legal action against Vueling, calling the removal a “purely antisemitic act” while assuring parents the children are safe in a hotel and scheduled to return to France.
Jewish billionaire investor Bill Ackman called out Vueling’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), noting that Qatar owns roughly 25% of IAG’s shares. Ackman demanded that the company’s CEO and board be held accountable for the incident.
Vueling, a Spanish low-cost airline acquired by IAG in 2012, operates over 100 routes across Europe and North Africa.
The woman who was arrested and beaten is the director of the Kinneret summer camp.
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) July 23, 2025
Fifty Jewish French children, aged 10 – 15, were singing Hebrew songs on the plane.
The @vueling airline crew said that Israel is a terrorist state and forced the children off the aircraft; they… https://t.co/V78PEHB58B pic.twitter.com/HizF6SZoaD
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