This Video of Kuwait Airways Staff Is Not Recent
The Claim
A recent video shows Kuwait Airways staff refusing Israeli passport holders to board their planes.
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Emerging story
A video purportedly showing Kuwait Airways staff refusing Israeli passport holders to board their planes has recently gone viral online.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar found the viral video to be outdated.
Old Video of Kuwait Airline Staff Banning Israelis From Boarding
Our investigation revealed that the video was first published on December 5, 2017. The video was uploaded to a YouTube channel called “Jewish Human Rights Watch.”
In the video’s introduction, the woman who took it said that she was at Heathrow Airport in London to purchase a ticket to fly from London to Bangkok on a flight that had a stopover in Kuwait. The woman asked viewers to see what would happen next.
The Kuwait Airways staff explained to the passengers that Israeli passport holders are not permitted to travel on their planes. A long discussion occurred between the passengers and the staff, and they ended up calling the managers.
An Israeli Passenger Sues Kuwait Airways
According to the Times of Israel, Blumenthal, a long-time supporter of Israel who is also a UK citizen, was denied boarding a Kuwait Airways flight from London to Bangkok on the basis of her nationality. Kuwait Airways has since agreed to compensate Blumenthal.
The advocacy group “UK Lawyers for Israel” released a statement saying: "Kuwait Airways has agreed to pay substantial damages plus costs to an Israeli national who was refused a ticket on a Kuwait Airways flight from London to Bangkok on the grounds of her nationality."
However, a German court ruled in the airline's favor, saying it was "not reasonable" to require that it break its nation's laws. As a result, critics accused the German court of endorsing anti-Semitism.
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