France is demanding answers after Spanish police dragged Jewish teenagers off a Vueling flight, with Madrid’s transport minister using an antisemitic slur that has triggered international outrage.
Paris–Madrid — A simmering diplomatic row between France and Spain has exploded after a group of French Jewish teenagers was forcibly removed from a Vueling Airlines flight from Valencia to Paris on July 23, in an incident now clouded by accusations of antisemitism.
The group, returning from a Camp Kineret summer program, was ordered off the plane by Spain’s Guardia Civil. Their adult leader was handcuffed and injured, later placed on 15‑day sick leave. In a move that has shocked French leaders, Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente took to social media to call the minors “Israeli brats” — a remark he later deleted but not before it triggered a political and diplomatic uproar.
French Ministers: “Brutal and Disproportionate”
French officials Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad, who personally visited the injured counsellor, denounced the “disembarkation and the disproportionate, brutal use of force”. They accused Puente of equating French Jewish children with Israeli citizens, as if that could justify the treatment, vowing: “We will never accept the trivialisation of antisemitism.”
The Airline’s Story vs. Witness Accounts
Vueling claims the teenagers were unruly — allegedly tampering with emergency equipment, interrupting safety demonstrations, and ignoring crew instructions. The airline insists passenger testimony backs their version.
But conflicting accounts have emerged. Passenger Damien described the group as “very calm”. A parent told i24 TV that a child briefly sang in Hebrew, prompting a warning from staff; minutes later, police boarded and ordered the group off. Another anonymous witness backed the airline’s claims, deepening the dispute.
Religious Bias Allegations
The group’s lawyer noted several children were wearing kippot, suggesting religious identity may have influenced the response. Both Vueling and the Guardia Civil deny any religious profiling.
Diplomatic Fallout
French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot has demanded full explanations from Vueling CEO Carolina Martinoli, and Paris has summoned Spain’s ambassador for clarification on whether antisemitic bias was involved.
Israel’s Diaspora Minister joined the condemnation, calling it a serious antisemitic incident. The French investigation is now underway, with international scrutiny mounting.
