El Al pilots reported to the corporate management that as their flight landed in Paris on Monday, an aircraft controller at Charles De Gaulle Airport addressed them over the radio and shouted, “Free Palestine.”
El Al stated in response: “The company views with utmost seriousness the incident that occurred last night, in which a French air traffic controller addressed the pilot in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner. We are handling the matter with the authorities in Israel, who are in contact with the authorities in France.”
The incident occurred amid rising anti-Israel sentiments in France, both on the street and in the government.
On Monday, Ynet reported that French authorities have quietly ceased renewing work visas for El Al flight security personnel employed in Paris through the Israeli embassy. According to the report, the change, which began approximately six months ago, has already left multiple staff members without valid documentation, forcing some to leave France altogether.
Last week, El Al’s Paris offices were targeted by vandals who spray-painted antisemitic graffiti, including the phrase “Genocide Airline,” on the building, and threw red paint across the façade. The airline subsequently announced it would not maintain staff in the city for the time being, instead transferring passenger services to other carriers operating in Paris.
