52 Jewish Children Removed from Flight Amid Singing Incident

VALENCIA, Spain — A group of 52 Jewish children, aged 10 to 15, were removed from a Vueling Airlines flight on Wednesday after they began singing traditional Hebrew songs during boarding.

The incident occurred at Manises Airport while the group was preparing to fly back to France. According to reports from Enfoque Judío, the airline staff instructed the children to stop singing, which led to local police being called. The group director was detained and handcuffed after resisting their removal.

Video shared on social media shows the director addressing the children before the flight, warning them to hide religious items such as yarmulkes and tzitzit to avoid issues on the plane. One child expressed concern about having a visible yarmulke, and the guide instructed him to place it in his pocket.

Vueling Airlines has denied the allegations made by the group, claiming the children acted aggressively and disrupted the safety demonstration, prompting the crew to follow established security protocols. The airline stated that law enforcement was called to ensure the safety of all passengers.

Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli condemned the incident, highlighting the alarming rise of antisemitic incidents globally. He relayed that the airline crew referred to Israel as a ‘terrorist state’ during their interaction with the youths.

Families of the children reported that some members were transported back to Paris by bus while others waited at the airport. Spain’s Ministry of Transport has confirmed an internal investigation is underway to ascertain the nature of the incident and any discrimination involved.