Are Israeli Flight Attendants Too ‘Aggressive’ For Delta Airlines?

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By Nathan Guttman January 3, 2018

A lawsuit filed in New York this week goes to the heart of the stereotypical image of Israelis.

Four flight attendants working on Delta’s New York – Tel Aviv route are alleging that the airline has harassed and abused Jewish and Israeli employees. The company, they claim, operates “under an express assumption that ethnic Jews and Israelis, as employees and passengers, cannot be trusted, are aggressive and inappropriate, and engage in what are deemed to be ‘strange’ behaviors by conducting prayers on the flight and requiring special dietary accommodations (kosher meals).”

The lawsuit lists several cases of alleged discrimination against Jews and Israelis, including the firing of a Jewish flight attendant on maternity leave and the suspension of another who shared a companion ticket with a Jewish friend.

Delta, in response, said it “values diversity in all aspects of its business and has zero tolerance for discrimination.” The airline said it will “defend itself vigorously” in court against these allegations.

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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