Several Jewish passengers onboard Iberia Airlines flight IB0102 from Buenos Aires to Madrid on Tuesday found “Free Palestine” scrawled across their kosher meal trays.
The passengers complained to the Delegation of Israeli Associations of Argentina (DAIA), which called the incident a “serious act of antisemitism” on an Iberia flight, denouncing it outright.
One passenger, Salvador Auday, received a tray with the “Free Palestine” slogan, while others found FP initials on theirs.
The DAIA announced that it was “in contact with the authorities of the airline to demand explanations and immediate action.”
Iberia is notably part of the same group of airlines as Vueling, which made headlines on July 23 after a group of 52 French Jewish teenagers and their guide were kicked off a plane in Valencia.
Auday, who is a leader in the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), told Spanish Jewish publication Enfoque Judío that the packages came that way from the supplier.
He told EF that he had reported it to the flight attendant, who had profusely apologized. According to him, the pilot of the plane left his cockpit in flight and came to apologize on behalf of the company.”
“Personally, I imagine it was an action of the supplier, but I don’t know. I asked to see some of the other closed meals, and indeed they had ‘FP’ written with the same pen,” he told Vis á Vis.
“Apparently, it was not a crew member, so if (the food) came from outside, I imagine that Iberia will do an internal investigation of its suppliers and procedures.”
'Jews are evil' graffiti in Canada
In Victoria, Canada, graffiti was sprayed on the Congregation Emanu-El synagogue on Saturday with the words “Jews are evil! Because genocide is evil! Stop the genocide, stop the Jews!”
The vandalism also said, “Jews are murdering thousands of gentile children. In the future, Palestinians will get their revenge against you, child-killing Jew-monsters!”
On Monday, the synagogue – the oldest in western Canada – released a statement saying it was “horrified and heartbroken by this act of hate.”
“Antisemitism has no place in Victoria, and we call on our neighbors and civic leaders to join us in condemning this act,” the congregation said.
The synagogue explained that it reached out to Victoria police as soon as the graffiti was discovered, and that the words have since been removed.
“For over 160 years, Congregation Emanu-El has proudly stood at the core of downtown Victoria, and we will continue to stand here as a strong and thriving Jewish community committed to Jewish tradition, culture, education, and social action.”
Solicitor-General Nina Krieger, who is also the Public Safety Minister, announced that the case is now the subject of an active police investigation.
She said that such incidents are the reason for the ongoing expansion of the British Columbia hate-crimes unit: “to recognize and investigate hate-motivated crimes and bring charges against perpetrators.”
“You cannot divorce the disgusting antisemitic graffiti found on a synagogue in Victoria, BC, on Shabbat, from [Canada’s] Prime Minister [Mark Carney’s] announcement last week,” B’nai Brith Canada said.
“By declaring its intention to recognize a Palestinian state prematurely, the federal government has further emboldened the vitriolic minority that has been targeting Canada’s Jewish community for almost two years.”
“This is what happens when our leaders placate those who incite hate and sow division – synagogues are defiled and Jewish Canadians are threatened.”
Berlin Holocaust memorial vandalized
The police in Berlin announced on Sunday that vandals had defaced the Putlitz Bridge Holocaust deportation memorial with white paint splashes and parcel tape.
This site, which commemorates the deportation of over 32,000 Jews, has faced repeated antisemitic vandalism since its creation.
Section 27 police forces were able to wipe off the fresh paint but were unable to remove the parcel tape without leaving any residue.
Police members from the State Security Division of the Federal Criminal Police Office are investigating the incident.
Oregon Jewish and Holocaust museum painted with swastikas
On Saturday, police in Portland, Oregon, launched a crime investigation after a vandal drew several swastikas at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.
According to Oregon Live, workers were left shaken after discovering about a half-dozen antisemitic emblems on the front door and a window mural at their Northwest Portland museum.
“Anger. Sadness. Frustration. Fear. All of that,” Rebekah Sobel, the museum’s executive director, said on Saturday. “This is the first time it’s ever happened at this building.”
“I feel that if you’re going to work for a Jewish organization in a downtown area like this, this just might happen,” Sobel said. “So we have a lot of conversations about safety and safety protocols, and we have a person who does our security in person when people enter the building.”
US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici for Oregon’s 1st congressional district “strongly condemned” the antisemitic vandalism in a post on Instagram.
“A museum should be a place where we learn from history, not see it repeated,” she wrote.