Over the previous few days, Spanish extremely low value service Vueling has made international headlines, over an incident that occurred onboard an plane. Particularly, this occurred on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, on Vueling flight VY8166 from Valencia (VLC) to Paris (ORY). Onboard this flight have been roughly 50 Jewish kids (ages 10-15), who have been getting back from a summer time camp, and so they all ended up being faraway from the plane.
What’s so unusual right here is how wildly totally different the variations of occasions are, relying on who you ask. A number of OMAAT readers have requested me to cowl this, however I haven’t finished so till now, as a result of I’m truthfully undecided what to say. So let me share what we learn about this incident, presenting either side, after which I’ll share my take, primarily based on analyzing these claims.
Jewish kids declare they have been kicked off flight for singing
This story went viral after we heard the model of occasions from the youngsters and camp director, who have been all faraway from this flight. In line with their model of occasions, they have been singing Hebrew songs throughout boarding, and whereas the airplane taxied to the runway.
The crew initially requested them to cease, however then escalated the state of affairs, and the airplane returned to the gate. Police have been referred to as, and ordered the youngsters and camp director off the airplane.
The youngsters have been informed they needed to put their cellphone downs in order that they couldn’t document what was occurring. The camp director intervened, arguing that the order was unlawful. She was then restrained, and brought away. The camp director was reportedly pressured to signal a non-disclosure settlement, and was ultimately launched.
Under is among the pupil’s model of occasions. Apparently, she makes no point out of singing, however as an alternative claims that that they had a joke at camp the place one individual would say “lilmod” (the Hebrew phrase for studying), after which they shout “mashiah” (messiah). She claims that the entire thing lasted two seconds, however then the crew acquired very mad and so they returned to the gate.
Right here’s how Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, described this incident:
“The lady arrested and overwhelmed is the summer time camp director. 50 Jewish kids from France, ages 10 to fifteen, have been singing Hebrew songs on board. The Spanish airline crew referred to as Israel a terrorist state and had them eliminated. The group continues to be caught in Valencia, making an attempt to return to France. We’ve seen many antisemitic incidents lately—however that is among the many worst.”
One different element that’s being introduced up is that the captain of this flight skilled two 9/11 terrorists at a flight faculty in Florida roughly 25 years in the past.
Vueling claims the youngsters have been disruptive, inflicting points
Vueling has a totally totally different model of what occurred, and also you’d assume we’re not even speaking about the identical flight. In line with the airline, the youngsters on the flight engaged in disruptive habits and adopted a confrontational perspective, in breach of air security legal guidelines, which require passengers to adjust to security laws and comply with crew directions.
The crew claims to have been alerted that the group of passengers was tampering with security gear, together with making an attempt to launch life jackets, tampering with overhead oxygen masks, and eradicating excessive stress oxygen cylinders. Moreover, the youngsters disrupted the necessary security demonstration, and repeatedly disobeyed crew member directions.
Regardless of more and more extreme warnings from the crew, making the potential penalties clear, the habits continued. The protection demonstration was interrupted three separate instances, impacting different passengers’ capability to listen to the security briefing.
In response, the crew requested assist from the flight deck, and the primary officer went to overview the state of affairs, and spoke to the youngsters and supervising adults. Sadly the habits continued, so the airplane returned to the gate, and the police needed to become involved. After assessing the state of affairs, the police proceeded to disembark the group.
The airline additionally notes that the Spanish captain of the flight has been on the airline since 2006, and has collected greater than 12,500 hours on the service. He beforehand labored as a flight teacher in Florida, and in that capability, he skilled greater than 100 pilots from all over the world.
My tackle this Vueling antisemitism controversy
I clearly wasn’t on this flight, so I can’t converse firsthand as to what occurred. And even among the many individuals who have been on the flight, they’ve wildly totally different takes.
Let me begin by saying that in fact antisemitism is actual, and occurs quite a bit. Nevertheless, not each incident involving a Jewish individual is a case of antisemitism (equally, as a homosexual individual, I believe homophobia is actual amongst some, however I don’t assume that each time one thing occurs, that’s the trigger).
Listed here are a number of ideas that come to thoughts:
- There’s some inconsistency as to what the youngsters declare occurred; some say they have been simply singing for a protracted interval, whereas others say it lasted two seconds, and simply concerned shouting
- Whereas it’s doable it’s not true, Vueling makes very particular claims in regards to the habits that the children engaged in, so if they simply completely made up these claims, that’s past unconscionable
- The truth that the captain skilled 9/11 terrorists is in my view a distraction; flight instructors take no matter college students they’ll get, they’re making an attempt to construct hours, and I don’t see any cause to imagine that this makes him a terrorist sympathizer, or that he knew 9/11 was going to occur, or one thing
- I used to be as soon as a child, and children do act up, and are arduous to rein in; I went to a Catholic all boys highschool, and I bear in mind in my Spanish class, my classmates would have a contest to see who may yell “[use your imagination]” the loudest, till the purpose that somebody must go to the principal’s workplace
- It could require loads of coordinated antisemitism for six crew members to all be onboard with calling the police over a non-event
That being mentioned:
- Is it doable that the children have been truly being disruptive, however that their faith brought on the crew to maybe take a harsher stance than they’d’ve taken in the event that they weren’t Jewish? Completely, as a result of unconscious (or acutely aware) biases undoubtedly influence how we act towards folks…
- The police’s response looks as if an entire overkill, and I’m confused; primarily based on looking out on-line, it doesn’t seem to be filming cops is illegitimate in Spain, so on what foundation did they basically power kids to place their telephones down, as in the event that they’re weapons, or one thing?
Have we seen any experiences from passengers onboard who weren’t a part of this group, sharing their tackle how this example unfolded? I’d assume that this might give us essentially the most unbiased tackle this, particularly given how far aside the claims are.
Backside line
Spanish extremely low value service Vueling is getting loads of consideration over a latest incident, whereby roughly 50 Jewish kids have been kicked off a airplane. What’s wild is the vary of views on what occurred.
On one of many spectrum, you could have the declare that children simply sang for a short while, and the crew referred to as Israel a terrorist state, returned to the gate, and referred to as the police. Then the opposite perspective is that the children have been disruptive again and again, interrupted the security demonstration, performed with every kind of security gear, and refused to cooperate, regardless of what number of instances they have been warned of the results.
I don’t know what the reality is right here. Is one celebration simply utterly making stuff up, is the reality someplace within the center, or what?
