By: Fern Sidman

French authorities have initiated a formal inquiry to determine whether a group of young French Jewish citizens was subjected to religious discrimination after being removed from a Vueling Airlines flight departing from Valencia, Spain, earlier this week. The incident, which has drawn growing attention from both French and Spanish officials, involved the ejection of dozens of minors and adults from flight V8166 en route to Paris, sparking concerns over whether the group was targeted because of their faith.

Spain at its Worst – from Inquisition to Fascism to Modern Day Anti-Semitism.

French Jewish children returning from summer camp were removed from Spanish airline for Hebrew singing; director arrested. @elpais_espana @elmundoes @LaVanguardia @dmontanes @eldiariovasco… pic.twitter.com/kx8xdbLbTe

— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) July 24, 2025

According to a report on Sunday at VIN News, the airline and Spanish law enforcement have firmly denied that religion played any role in the decision to disembark the passengers. Vueling, a subsidiary of International Airlines Group, contends that the group—comprising 44 minors and eight adult supervisors—was removed for safety-related reasons. A spokesperson for the airline claimed that several minors tampered with emergency equipment and disrupted the mandatory safety briefing, prompting the flight’s captain to request their removal from the aircraft at Valencia’s Manises Airport.

However, in a statement released Saturday, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs announced that Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had personally contacted Vueling CEO Carolina Martinoli to express his government’s “deep concern” about the incident. As VIN News reported, Barrot specifically referenced the group’s Jewish identity and demanded clarity over whether the minors were targeted for religious reasons. The minister also issued a parallel request to Spain’s ambassador in Paris, urging cooperation in a bilateral effort to uncover the facts.

“Ms. Martinoli assured Mr. Barrot that a thorough internal investigation was underway and that its findings would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities,” the French ministry noted in its official statement. The airline has yet to publish any formal documentation detailing the behavior it says necessitated the removal.

According to the information provided in the VIN News report, the passengers in question were part of a French Jewish youth group returning from a summer program. Reports that circulated in Israeli media following the incident suggested the teens’ removal may have been motivated by antisemitism. One Israeli minister echoed these concerns on social media, intensifying the diplomatic scrutiny around the case.

Spanish law enforcement, however, has maintained that their intervention was in response to instructions from the flight captain. A spokesperson for the Civil Guard, Spain’s national police force, said the agents involved “were not aware of the group’s religious affiliation” and simply executed the pilot’s directive after repeated noncompliance by the minors.

The report at VIN News noted that, despite denials of discrimination, Jewish community organizations have voiced unease. On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain called on Vueling to provide concrete evidence documenting the conduct that led to the group’s removal. The organization stressed the need for transparency and accountability in light of the potential reputational and communal implications of the incident.

“If the airline is confident in its claim that this was purely a matter of flight safety and not influenced by the religious identity of the passengers, then it should have no difficulty releasing documentation and cabin recordings,” a representative of the Federation told VIN News.

The call for clarity has been amplified by Jewish groups across Europe, especially given the broader context of rising antisemitism on the continent. VIN News has previously reported on a marked uptick in antisemitic incidents throughout France, Spain, and other European Union member states following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. The climate has led to heightened sensitivity surrounding cases where Jewish identity intersects with public or official action.

In the current case, VIN News reported that the minors and their guardians were left without adequate support or alternative travel arrangements following their removal, leading to logistical confusion and emotional distress for many of the children. Questions have been raised regarding whether standard protocol was followed to ensure the well-being of the young travelers in the aftermath of the incident.

Vueling has so far declined to provide a detailed timeline of events or specific evidence substantiating the claims of “tampering with emergency equipment,” though company representatives continue to insist the removal was justified.

Meanwhile, French officials are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness. According to the information contained in the VIN News report, the foreign affairs ministry has opened a formal dossier and will coordinate with Spanish counterparts in reviewing passenger statements, security footage, and communications between the flight crew and airport officials.

In the absence of a public apology or definitive findings from the ongoing investigation, the incident remains a flashpoint in the broader discussion about antisemitism in Europe. As one French Jewish leader stated to VIN News, “Even if this turns out not to be a case of antisemitic discrimination, the fact that it is plausible—given recent trends—should give us all pause.”

For now, both the French and Spanish governments await the results of Vueling’s internal investigation, which Martinoli pledged to expedite. Jewish organizations on both sides of the Pyrenees continue to call for greater transparency, and civil society observers are watching closely to see whether this episode signals a deeper concern for the treatment of Jewish youth in international settings.