Delta Airlines apologized Thursday after its X account sympathized with a post that incorrectly said two flight attendants with Palestinian flag pins were wearing “Hamas badges.”
An X user by the handle “ilikeTeslas” had tweeted Tuesday: “Since 2001 we take our shoes off in every airport because a terrorist attack in US soil. Now imagine getting into a @Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?”
The Delta Air Lines X account replied Wednesday: “I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”
That response was deleted later.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, the country’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, slammed the airline for the “racist anti-Palestinian tweet” and demanded an apology and better education of staffers.
Whether this racist post on Delta’s X account was approved or unauthorized, Delta must apologize and take steps to educate its employees about this type of dangerous anti-Palestinian racism. Bigotry against Palestinian-Americans is absolutely out of control in workplaces and at… pic.twitter.com/3wezN6W8iN
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) July 10, 2024
On Thursday, Delta said in a statement it “removed a mistakenly posted comment on X Wednesday because it was not in line with our values and our mission to connect the world.”
“The team member responsible for the post has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels. We apologize for this error,” the company added.
CAIR said the tweet was harmful, as it agreed with the original tweet’s false claim that a “Palestinian flag pin worn by a flight attendant was a ‘Hamas badge.’”
The Palestinian flag — a tricolor banner of black, white and green stripes with a red triangle on the left side — represents the Palestinian people. Hamas, an Islamist militant organization, has its own unique flag of a green background with white writing of the Shahada, an Islamic statement of faith, according to the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
“Whether this racist post on Delta’s X account was approved or unauthorized, Delta must apologize and take steps to educate its employees about this type of dangerous anti-Palestinian racism,” CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said in a statement.
“Bigotry against Palestinian-Americans is absolutely out of control in workplaces and at schools — and it must stop,” he added.
Delta said the photos included in the original tweet depicted flight attendants on separate flights on different days. It declined to share specific flight details.
Neither flight attendant has been fired for wearing the pins, as both complied with Delta uniform guidelines, the airline said, adding: “We’re in touch with the flight attendants to offer support.”
“However … Delta is shifting its pin allowance policy effective July 15. Beginning then, only U.S. flags will be permitted to be worn on uniforms,” the company said. “Previously, pins representing countries/nationalities of the world had been permitted.”
“We are taking this step to help ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all,” Delta said. “We are proud of our diverse base of employees and customers and the foundation of our brand, which is to connect the world and provide a premium experience.”
The now-deleted tweet sparked outrage on X. Omar Suleiman, a Palestinian American imam and the president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, wrote: “These airlines won’t learn until you stop giving them business @Delta #BoycottDelta.”
“I hear you? What’s the Palestinians got to do with 9/11? Isn’t the whole screenshot the perfect encapsulation of real racism and Islamophobia? Pathetic really. Only in America,” another X user wrote.
“As a Palestinian American, I will make a point to #BoycottDelta because of your racism and devaluation of Palestinian lives and rights,” another wrote.
The Palestinian flag has become a symbol of solidarity for the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Israel-Hamas war.
In the war, more than 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and over 1,200 were killed in Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, including soldiers and civilians.
The ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza have led to a humanitarian crisis, with up to 1.9 million people across the Gaza Strip internally displaced — including some who have been displaced nine or 10 times, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The war that has led to demonstrations around the world, including in the U.S., with protests breaking out on college campuses and spikes in reports of antisemitic and anti-Arab and Islamophobic incidents.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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