
Etihad Airways plane
Photo: Montague Smith
The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, which annually receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from the US government, has left out Israel,
one of America's staunchest allies, from its official travel-route map, according to a Monday report in the New York Post.
The Emirati airline refuses to provide transport to Israeli passengers, as Israeli passport holders are not permitted entry into the country because the Gulf nation does not recognize the Jewish State.
While Etihad displays every country in the region, from Cyprus to Iraq, the Jewish state does not appear on maps presented to the airline's travelers. Yet, the US Department of Homeland Security spends $425,000 a year on a preclearance customs facility at the Abu Dhabi Airport, which is used solely by Etihad.
Discrimination
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In the past, Etihad Airways has even provided lessons to employees on how to identify Israeli travels based on accent and mannerisms, according to a BBC report.
The Jewish community in the US is furious with the conduct of the Arab airline. Justin Lee, a Jewish travel expert from New York, was outraged that American taxpayer money is used to pay an airline that supports discrimination.
"As a frequent flier who holds both US and Israeli passports, I would sooner donate my miles to Hezbollah than travel on Etihad Airways," said the 30-year-old New Yorker.
He added, “I’d probably be interrogated less.”