Heathrow Airport backtracks on Palestinian flag badges

Heathrow’s service director has since confirmed that the Palestinian flag is a non-approved badge, promising to “carry out further review” and “take proactive and (if required) remedial action” to enforce this policy.

The row began on 26 May after a Jewish passenger was pulled over for a second security check by an employee wearing a Palestinian flag. The customer wrote to Heathrow, asking why staff were allowed to wear such a divisive flag.

Although the customer was told that “no nationality, religious or political items can be worn by any Heathrow staff”, communications from Heathrow suggested that the Palestinian flag was permitted as a sign the employee speaks Arabic.

This is not the first time Heathrow has come under fire for its treatment of Jews and Israelis. The Home Office is currently investigating a claim of harassment filed by UKLFI on behalf of Israeli passengers.

On 10 June, travellers arriving on an El Al flight were made to undergo secondary baggage checks after a customs officer allegedly noticed an Israeli flag on the passengers’ luggage.

The official reportedly told them: “I am a customs officer and I can do what I want”. The Israeli passengers called the treatment “degrading” and “horrible”.

Heathrow is not the only airport where Israeli customers have reported harassment.

In January, an Israeli passenger arriving at Stansted also noticed a member of staff was wearing a Palestinian flag badge. After asking to speak to a manager, he was reportedly told, “they are a private company and they are allowed to wear anything they like”.

UKLFI wrote to Stansted, arguing that this harassment of Israeli and Jewish passengers constitutes a breach of the Equality Act, but received no response.