Spanish airline Iberia said on Tuesday that it has launched an internal investigation after a Jewish passenger requesting a kosher meal was served food bearing the words ‘Free Palestine’ on the packaging.
According to DAIA, the main representative body of Argentina’s Jewish community, several other Jewish travellers on the Buenos Aires to Madrid flight received meal trays marked with the initials ‘FP’, which they said stood for ‘Free Palestine’. The organisation condemned the incident as ‘a serious act of antisemitism’.
‘We strongly condemn this discriminatory act and have contacted the airline authorities to demand explanations and immediate action,’ DAIA stated in a message shared on X (see below).
Their post included a photo showing a meal tray with a handwritten label reading ‘Free Palestine’ in black ink (main image).
Kosher meals adhere to Jewish dietary regulations and are typically requested in advance for religious reasons.
In a statement, Iberia acknowledged that passengers on the flight, which landed early on Tuesday, had reported receiving ‘handwritten pro-Palestinian messages’ on their food containers.
‘The Iberia crew documented the incident and took action to assist those affected. The captain personally approached them to apologise on behalf of the airline,’ the airline’s statement read.
The carrier confirmed that an internal review is underway and said it is coordinating with its catering suppliers to determine how the messages ended up on the meal packaging.
Iberia also emphasised that it ‘categorically rejects any form of discrimination, incitement to hatred, or behaviour that undermines the dignity of individuals’.
The incident comes just weeks after another airline owned by the same parent company, Vueling, removed dozens of Jewish teenagers from a flight departing from Valencia to Paris.
Vueling claimed the group had behaved disruptively, including interfering with safety equipment such as life jackets and oxygen masks.
However, some parents disputed that account, alleging antisemitism and stating that the group was ejected after one teenager sang a song in Hebrew. ALSO READ: Vueling denies ‘highly disruptive’ passengers were removed from flight because they are Jewish.
Vueling is part of International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
Grave acto de antisemitismo en vuelo de @Iberia denunciado en la DAIA
En el vuelo IB0102 Buenos Aires–Madrid, el pasajero Salvador Auday recibió su bandeja de comida kosher con la leyenda “Free Palestine”. Otros pasajeros judíos también recibieron bandejas con las iniciales… pic.twitter.com/2srkgOGIQU
— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) August 4, 2025
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.
