German court rules Kuwaiti airline may ban Israeli passengers

Israeli student in Germany loses lawsuit against Kuwait Airways for canceling his booking • Court rules airline would have risked serious repercussions at home for violating Kuwaiti law boycotting Israel • Jewish council: Law reminiscent of Nazi policies.

Eldad Beck, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff

A German court ruled on Thursday that Kuwait Airways had the right to refuse to carry an Israeli passenger due to his nationality, a verdict that Jewish groups said condones anti-Semitism.

An Israeli citizen identified in court papers as Adar M., a student living in Germany, had sued Kuwait Airways after it canceled his booking for a flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok that included a stopover in Kuwait City.

The cancellation came a few days before M.'s scheduled departure in August 2016, when he revealed he had an Israeli passport. The airline offered to book him on a nonstop flight to Bangkok with another carrier.

The man refused the offer and filed the lawsuit, seeking compensation for alleged discrimination. He also insisted the airline should have to accept him as a passenger.

In its decision, the Frankfurt state court noted that under Kuwaiti law, Kuwait Airways is not allowed to have contracts with Israelis because of the Middle Eastern country's boycott of Israel. The court said it did not evaluate whether "this law makes sense," but the airline risked repercussions that were "not reasonable" for violating it, such as fines or prison time for employees.

According to the court, Germany's anti-discrimination law applies only in cases of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic background or religion, not citizenship.

The Israeli plaintiff's attorney, Nathan Gelbart, said, "This is a shameful verdict for democracy and for Germany in general. This verdict cannot stand." Gelbart said his client was planning to appeal the ruling.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany said the Kuwaiti law was reminiscent of Nazi policies. Similar cases in Switzerland and the United States were decided in the favor of the plaintiffs, the council said.

"It is unacceptable that a foreign company operating on the basis of deeply anti-Semitic national laws should be allowed to do business in Germany," the group said in a statement.

"We urge the federal government to examine all legal avenues to prevent such cases of discrimination in the future," the group said, calling on the government to take action against the airline.

Frankfurt Mayor Uwe Becker also criticized the decision.

"An airline that practices discrimination and anti-Semitism by refusing to fly Israeli passengers should not be allowed to take off or land in Frankfurt," he said.

Kuwait Airways could not immediately be reached for comment.

In 2015, the airline canceled its London-New York route after the U.S. Transportation Department decided that its policy of refusing to carry Israeli citizens violated U.S. anti-discrimination laws. The department ordered the airline to carry Israeli citizens in U.S. airspace, a directive that was rendered irrelevant when the airline dropped the route.


http://www.israelhayom.com/2017/11/17/german-court-rules-kuwaiti-airline-may-ban-israeli-passengers/

Gee, antisemitism in Germany??

First time for everythi..........

Oh wait

The leftys are keeping remarkably quiet on this thread...


I wonder why...!?

I have said the same often, in that why is the left silent on this?

Eiether it means they agree with this or they think its acceptable to discriminate against a people.

it seems anti Israeli, not anti Semite. he was fine being Jewish, it was the Israeli passport that got him kicked.

whether we agree or not Kuwait have an embargo on Israel, I don't think we'd accept a North Korean passport or a Taliban issued one.

I think it is wrong that individuals seem to get targeted in what should really be a matter between states, But Israelis are far from the most effected by this, which occurs to other nations too, Cuba for example.

veya_victaous wrote:it seems anti Israeli, not anti Semite. he was fine being Jewish, it was the Israeli passport that got him kicked.

whether we agree or not Kuwait have an embargo on Israel, I don't think we'd accept a North Korean passport or a Taliban issued one.

I think it is wrong that individuals seem to get targeted in what should really be a matter between states, But Israelis are far from the most effected by this, which occurs to other nations too, Cuba for example.

And there you have it

Veya compares a Totalitarian nation and terrorists to that of the only democracy in the Middle East

What can i say

Didge wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:it seems anti Israeli, not anti Semite. he was fine being Jewish, it was the Israeli passport that got him kicked.

whether we agree or not Kuwait have an embargo on Israel, I don't think we'd accept a North Korean passport or a Taliban issued one.

I think it is wrong that individuals seem to get targeted in what should really be a matter between states, But Israelis are far from the most effected by this, which occurs to other nations too, Cuba for example.

And there you have it

Veya compares a Totalitarian nation and terrorists to that of the only democracy in the Middle East

What can i say

because they are the same. both are nations under boycott.

you are not king, you don't get to deny Kuwait it's 'right to self determination' that it has determined to includes boycotting Israel.
if it is fair for us to do it to Taliban than it is fair for others to do it to Israel.

veya_victaous wrote:

Didge wrote:


And there you have it

Veya compares a Totalitarian nation and terrorists to that of the only democracy in the Middle East

What can i say

because they are the same. both are nations under boycott.

you are not king, you don't get to deny Kuwait it's 'right to self determination' that it has determined to includes boycotting Israel.
if it is fair for us to do  it to Taliban than it is fair for others to do it to Israel.

Wow, so where one is the Jewish state and thus its because they are Jewish that they are being banned. You compare this to a nation, that is a nucleur threat to the world. Which you make a claim not known with Germany on North Korea passports or Kuwait. Even more stupid, say the Taliban, which does not have a state and are terrorists in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Kuwait is openly anitisemitic in its views of Jews and racism against Israel
Now I do not believe any nation should be boycotted, as that means you make the all people culpable for a claimed crime. You sanction individuals in power and Government, not an nation, as that is xenophobic discrimination.

You should have certainly security checks for any people and some countries will have higher levels of threats, but for you to compare and in argue in favour of such a ban, means you back discrimination and prejudice

who said I'm in favor.
it's just a fact of life thing, do you think there should be no boycotting or embargos on North Korea?

veya_victaous wrote:who said I'm in favor.
it's just a fact of life thing, do you think there should be no boycotting or embargos on North Korea?

Not seen you condemn it but as seen poorly defend.

What did I just say on boycotts?

No people should collectivelly suffer due to Governments and its sanctions and embargoes on North Korea, not bans or boycotts. Those sanctions are around stemming its military capacbilities