Ryanair Flight Attendant Calls Tel Aviv “Occupied Palestine”
A flight attendant for Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline, caused a commotion on a flight bound for Tel Aviv by referring to the city as “Occupied Palestine” during an announcement about the plane’s arrival. The flight was traveling from Bologna, Italy to Tel Aviv, Israel.
Passengers React
The flight attendant repeated the phrase “occupied Palestine” in both English and Italian, and when passengers asked her to correct the statement, she refused. This caused a commotion on the plane, with some passengers attempting to take photos of the flight attendant and identify her.
Israel’s Response
Upon landing, passengers were reportedly threatened with arrest for attempting to take photos of the flight attendant. Israel’s Channel 12 reported on the incident and Ryanair issued an apology, calling it an “innocent mistake.”
Palestinian Spokesman Speaks Out
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for the Palestinian president, criticized the incident and accused the Israeli government of continuing to commit crimes against the Palestinian people. He cited recent events, including the storming of the city of Nablus, the murder of a Palestinian youth, and the bombing of a citizen’s house, which resulted in dozens of injuries. Abu Rudeineh called for Israel to face punishment for these actions and for measures to be taken to stop them.
