Iberia Launches Investigation After Kosher Meal Delivered With ‘Free Palestine’ Message Sparks Backlash

Spanish airline Iberia has launched an investigation after a Jewish passenger on a flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid received a kosher meal labeled “Free Palestine” — one of the latest in a string of anti-Jewish incidents amid a sharp rise in antisemitism across Spain.

On Monday, Argentina’s main Jewish umbrella organization, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), reported that a passenger on a flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid received a kosher meal labeled “Free Palestine.” Kosher meals are prepared in accordance with traditional Jewish dietary laws.

According to DAIA’s report, several other Jewish passengers were also given trays marked with the initials “FP.”

“We strongly condemn this discriminatory act and have contacted the airline authorities to demand explanations and immediate action,” DAIA wrote in a post on X.

Grave acto de antisemitismo en vuelo de @Iberia denunciado en la DAIA

En el vuelo IB0102 Buenos Aires–Madrid, el pasajero Salvador Auday recibió su bandeja de comida kosher con la leyenda “Free Palestine”. Otros pasajeros judíos también recibieron bandejas con las iniciales… pic.twitter.com/2srkgOGIQU

— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) August 4, 2025

Iberia confirmed that several passengers discovered “handwritten pro-Palestinian messages” on their meal packaging during the flight.

The Spanish airline said the crew quickly documented the incident, assisted those affected, and that the captain personally apologized to the passengers.

“Iberia is conducting a comprehensive investigation, involving both its internal teams and external catering suppliers, to fully understand the incident and implement all necessary corrective actions,” the airline told The Algemeiner.

“We unequivocally condemn all forms of discrimination, hate speech, and any behavior that violates the dignity of individuals,” the statement read. “These actions are completely unacceptable and contradict the core values of respect and inclusion that define our company’s identity.”

This incident follows a separate controversy involving Spanish airline Vueling, which faced backlash after forcibly removing a group of French Jewish teenagers from a flight from Valencia to Paris, allegedly for singing in Hebrew.

The forced removal of the group has triggered political outrage in France, after their group leader was handcuffed by Spanish police and a government minister insulted the teens as “Israeli brats.”

The Spanish low-cost airline denied the allegations, insisting the incident was not related to religion but rather that the group was removed because of its members’ “highly combative attitude that was putting the safety of the flight at risk.”

Spain has seen a significant increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes and anti-Israel sentiment following the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with the local Jewish community facing harassment, intimidation, and assaults.

The Spanish government has also been one of the harshest critics of the Jewish state since the start of the war in Gaza, mounting a sustained effort against Israel in international forums.

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 atrocities, Spain halted arms shipments from its own defense companies to Israel and launched a diplomatic campaign to curb the country’s military response.

At the same time, several Spanish ministers in the country’s left-wing coalition government issued pro-Hamas statements and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with some falsely accusing Israel of “genocide.”