A group of 57 Israeli and Jewish passengers has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court accusing United Airlines of antisemitic discrimination after a Tel Aviv-bound flight in April 2023 was turned around midair and returned to Newark without what they claim was a justified reason.
The incident occurred on April 22, during the week between Holocaust Remembrance Day and Israeli Independence Day. According to the lawsuit, a passenger briefly sat in an unoccupied crew seat while waiting for a lavatory. The crew allegedly responded with disproportionate force, leading to an escalating confrontation that culminated in the flight’s abrupt return to the United States.
Eyewitnesses said flight attendants warned they would turn the plane around if the passenger didn’t move, but the warning was not taken seriously. Minutes later, the plane changed course. “No one explained what was happening,” said passenger Shlomit. “We just saw the flight path shift on the screen. When we landed, the police were already waiting.”
The passenger in question was detained upon landing but later released. Another traveler, Jeff Hunt, documented the incident on social media, describing the man as walking calmly through the cabin and explaining his version of events to others. Many passengers reportedly waited hours for hotel vouchers from United—some never received them.
Israeli passenger taken off United Airlines flight for alleged inappropriate conduct
The lawsuit accuses United staff of “incompetence, racism and discriminatory treatment of Jewish passengers,” claiming the entire group was punished for a minor incident. One plaintiff alleges that when he, wearing a kippah, asked a flight attendant for help rebooking, she responded, “Go ask your people.” The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Yoram Nachimovsky, are seeking damages and mandatory anti-bias training for airline staff.
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United Airlines firmly denied the allegations in a statement to Ynet: “We have reviewed the incident, and the plaintiffs’ claims are meritless. One passenger who was a safety and security risk caused the flight to return to Newark. Our crew put safety first and exhibited professionalism in managing this matter, and we will vigorously defend against these false allegations.”
This isn’t the first time United has faced controversy over disrupted flights involving Israeli passengers. In January 2022, a flight was halted and ultimately canceled after two Israeli travelers sat in business class without permission and refused to move, violating crew duty hour limits.
In another case, a 20-year-old Orthodox Jewish passenger, Yisrael Leib of New Jersey, sued the airline after alleging he was forcibly removed from a restroom during a flight from Mexico to Houston due to a medical condition, and subjected to antisemitic abuse and a humiliating search upon landing.