Air France Faces Legal Hurdles Over Israeli Crew Citizenship Rules
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Air France is facing legal and operational difficulties due to an Israeli security directive requiring foreign flight crew to be excluded from flights to Israel. The directive, prompted by a security incident, places the burden of checking citizenship on airlines. French politicians and labor unions have strongly criticized the measure, with unions demanding a halt to Paris-Tel Aviv flights and citing discrimination concerns.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Air France faces legal challenges over Israeli security directive excluding foreign flight crew from Israeli flights.
- The directive requires airlines to vet crew citizenship following a security incident.
- French politicians have condemned the Israeli demand as discriminatory and apartheid-like.
- French labor unions are demanding a halt to Paris-Tel Aviv flights, citing worker rights.
- Air France attempted and abandoned internal measures due to French privacy laws.
Air France is encountering significant legal and operational challenges due to a new Israeli security directive concerning the citizenship of foreign flight crew members. The directive, prompted by an attempted attack on a Flydubai flight, requires airlines to prevent foreign nationals from participating in flights landing in or transiting through Israeli airspace. Israel has shifted the responsibility for verifying crew citizenship to the airlines, citing insufficient resources for individual checks. The directive applies to crew from 31 countries.
According to a report by the French website Mediapart, Air France has struggled to implement the Israeli requirement. An initial attempt to have employees declare their citizenship was abandoned due to French privacy laws. A proposed alternative allows affected crew members to voluntarily opt out of flights to Tel Aviv without needing to provide a reason. However, an internal memo warned that non-compliance could lead to sanctions for both employees and the company.
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from French politicians. Fabien Roussel, General Secretary of the Communist Party, questioned foreign interference and potential discrimination within a strategic company like Air France, asking about the government's response. Member of Parliament Thomas Portes accused Israel of practicing apartheid and criticized Air France for yielding to "genocidal government demands." European Parliament member Rima Hassan stated that Air France is discriminating against its employees under Israeli orders.
French labor unions, including the CGT, have demanded a halt to flights between Paris and Tel Aviv, asserting that their crews should not be segregated by nationality. The union referenced French labor law prohibiting discrimination based on origin or nationality. They concluded that if the Paris-Tel Aviv route cannot operate without excluding employees due to their nationality, the operation of the route itself should be questioned, not workers' rights.
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