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- French authorities investigate if Jewish passengers were removed from flight due to religion</p>
<p>July 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM</p>
<p>FILE - A Vueling Airbus A321 approaches for landing in Lisbon at sunrise, while the moon sets in the background,, Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File) ()</p>
<p>PARIS (AP) — French authorities are trying to establish whether a group of young French citizens were removed from a plane bound for Paris from Spain this week because they are Jewish.</p>
<p>The airline, Vueling, has denied the claims.</p>
<p>Several dozen French passengers on Wednesday were kicked off a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior.</p>
<p>France's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, contacted the CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, to express his deep concern "about the removal of a group of young French Jews from one of the company's flights."</p>
<p>Barrot also requested more information to "determine whether these individuals had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion."</p>
<p>A similar request has been made to the Spanish ambassador to France.</p>
<p>"Ms. Martinoli assured Mr. Barrot that a thorough internal investigation was underway and that its findings would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities," the ministry said.</p>
<p>Vueling previously denied reports that the incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers' religion.</p>
<p>Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. Spain's Civil Guard said the minors and adults were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation.</p>
<p>A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew's instructions.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane.</p>
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Source: "AOL General News"
Source: AsherMag
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