"All he did was say a word in Hebrew, and the next thing we knew, the Spanish Guardia Civil was called," said Sanson, one of the 48 Jewish children taken off a flight from Valencia to Paris, in an interview on Thursday.
"One of my friends said a word in Hebrew. The cabin crew came up immediately and told him that if it happened again, they would call the police and remove us from the flight, because he was loud, even shouting. From that moment, we were completely silent. We did not utter a sound and were totally calm.
Guardi Civil arrest the leader of a Jewish Group
But that did not end there. "Five minutes later, we saw a team from the Guardia Cevile, the Spanish national police, enter the plane. They came to talk with our group leader. Among the first questions they asked was about our nationality. She confirmed we were French and on our way home to France," he told France's CNEWS.
"One of the people there said some of the children had Israeli nationality. Immediately after that, when we were very well behaved, they asked us to leave the plane."
The boy denied reports that the children were singing in Hebrew and that was why they were removed from the flight. After they disembarked, the group leader was detained and handcuffed, and her phone was taken from her. She was released after she was made to sign a document committing not to spread any visual documentation of the incident.
Images that did appear showed her on the ground and a member of the Guardia Civil handcuffing her.
Damian, a French passenger who was on the flight with his daughter, confirmed the boy's account and said he did not hear any shouting or noise from the kids. He told Le Parisien that other passengers were also surprised when the crew announced that they would call the police, for security reasons.
The Guard Civil said the group had ignored instructions and did not remain in their seats, thereby violating security protocols. Spain denied any antisemitism connected to the incident.
Vueling Airlines also vehemently denied the Jewish group's claims. "They harmed emergency equipment and actively interfered with the safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring instructions from the crew. Despite repeated warnings, their improper behavior continued and that prompted the crew to activate security protocols," the airline said.
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"The team acted in accordance with regulations and asked for the Guardia Civil to intervene. After an assessment of the situation, they decided to remove the group from the plane and prefer the safety of the rest of the passengers."
The airline added that the kids continued to behave aggressively when they reached the terminal and some expressed a violent attitude toward the authorities, leading to one arrest.
"We deny any claim that the crew considered the passenger's religion. Their decision was based only on the need to ensure the safety of all of the passengers. We vehemently reject any discrimination. We regret the incident and appreciate the support and understanding of the passengers who were affected by the situation."