In an incident that has rattled nerves and sparked an intense controversy, a passenger, Paul Faust, alleges he was subjected to antisemitism inflight by a JetBlue employee donning a provocative “Free Palestine” pin.
Faust, a 54-year-old from Parkland, Florida found himself on a seemingly routine April 28 flight to Las Vegas until he chanced upon a flight attendant whose uniform bore an array of pins. Among them situated prominently was a “Free Palestine” pin, affixed alongside a Palestinian flag. Choosing not to confront the air hostess, Faust decided to keep his peace.
As the air hostess slipped on an apron in preparation to serve drinks, Faust’s gaze fell upon a curious sight. The flight attendant had selectively moved the “Free Palestine” pin onto her apron, while the remaining pins, which included a “Black Lives Matter” badge, stayed put on her uniform.
Noting his manifestly Jewish-themed tattoo, Faust confesses he felt an inkling of unease. He judged the flight attendant’s decision to exclusively relocate the “Free Palestine” pin onto her apron may be an intentional and provocative act.
Seeking resolution without confrontation, Faust turned to the in-flight supervisor and recommended a conversation with the flight attendant after landing at Harry Reid International Airport, hopeful to evade any potential discord onboard. “Could we perhaps address her action post-flight, which felt a tad insensitive and induced discomfort?” Faust reportedly conveyed to the supervisor.
The turbulence, however, ensued the moment they touched down and entered the terminal. An airline official reported a “disturbance” on the flight and held Faust liable, threatening to summon the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Demanding an identification document from Faust, the official’s narrative was countered by Faust, who firmly denied causing any disruption and exited the premises.
The storm wasn’t over yet. Boarding his return flight the next day, Faust was stunned to find a ban imposed on him by the airlines. The reason cited was his alleged disturbance during the previous flight, as revealed by a representative.
Adding to the whirlwind, flight records insinuated that Faust had proclaimed, “everyone should go to Gaza so they can be killed.” Denying the allegations, Faust clarified his discussion was confined to a private conversation with a fellow Jewish passenger, Rachelle Almagor, revolving around Israel-related matters.
Almagor echoed Faust’s sentiments, shedding light on her own unpleasant experience. She voiced her wish to see the concerned flight attendant dismissed from her duties while expressing her decision to abandon her return flight on JetBlue.
Shaken from the incident, Almagor shared her personal ordeal with DailyMail.com. “My daughter lost her best friend in Gaza. He was kidnapped and murdered. Seeing the Free Palestine pin was a piece of my heartache visible to the world”, she lamented.
On his return to Florida via an alternate airline, Faust characterized the ordeal as “blatant antisemitism” according to the New York Post. He emailed JetBlue’s CEO, and took to social media to share two videos bearing a raw account of the incident.
In the ensuing uproar, JetBlue has assured comprehensive inquiries into the allegations and claims. The airline pledged full commitment to fostering respect and fairness for all its employees and customers – discriminatory conduct would neither be tolerated nor overlooked.
Faust, a frequent flyer with the airlines, was presented with an apology from JetBlue, which also assured necessary measures following the completion of the investigation. As a direct result of the episode, JetBlue stated an amendment to their uniform policy : henceforth, employees would only adorn pins approved or issued by the airlines.
