Passenger calls flight attendant ‘antisemitic’ for wearing apparent pro-Palestinian pin

Published Jan 06, 2025  •  2 minute read

Screenshot of flight attendant putting hand up to block face as passenger films her. Photo by Community News /Instagram

A Jewish passenger on an American Airlines flight blasted a crew member and accused her of being antisemitic for a watermelon pin on her top.

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In the ongoing war in Gaza, people have been using and wearing watermelon images to communicate solidarity with Palestinians, due to the fruit’s colours matching the Palestinian flag.

Video shows the man and flight attendant in a heated argument as he slammed her for wearing the pin and not letting him leave the plane.

“You’re supporting terrorism with your pin,” the man can be heard saying. “You support terrorism, you’re antisemitic.”

“Why are you preventing me from leaving the plane, is it because I’m Jewish?” he continued, before calling her “antisemitic” once more.

The flight attendant was joined by another crew member who accused the passenger of “touching” her.

Both women are seen putting their hands up in attempts to block their faces as the man filmed the incident.

They then told the man he was not permitted to film them, according to U.S. aviation regulations, and he was not allowed to disembark until he deleted the video.

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The crew members also instructed the man to wait for police to escort him out but the passenger claimed he called the cops for assistance in the matter.

“Once officers came, they told them I didn’t break any laws and they are the ones breaking the law by holding me on the plane for stupidity and they still refused to let me go so the officers got really upset and took me off the plane,” the passenger said, according to an Instagram post.

“It was very upsetting to be treated like a criminal.”

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American Airlines staff is forbidden from wearing unauthorized pins, buttons and badges that are not part of the official uniform.

According to the airline’s uniform policy, employees are only allowed to wear “company-issued anniversary or award pins,” a union pin, or a pin from a “company-sponsored” organization.

American Airlines said it was investigating the incident, which occurred last week.

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