French Ministers Aurore Bergé and Benjamin Haddad condemned the “excessive and brutal” force used by Spanish Civil Guard against a 21-year-old summer camp counselor during the removal of 44 French Jewish teenagers and eight adults from Vueling flight VY8166 at Valencia’s Manises Airport on July 23, 2025. The group, part of Club Kineret’s summer camp returning from Sant Carles de la Ràpita to Paris-Orly, was ejected for what Vueling and Spanish police called “unruly behavior,” including tampering with emergency equipment and disrupting safety demonstrations.

The counselor, who met with the ministers on Tuesday and remains anonymous due to trauma, disputed this, describing the crew as hostile from the outset. She claimed a teen briefly sang in Hebrew but stopped when asked, and no actions justified the group’s removal or the violent arrest, which left her with a 15-day work incapacity. Other passengers corroborated her account, per the ministers. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had earlier contacted Vueling CEO Carolina Martinoli and Spain’s ambassador to probe potential religious discrimination.

Vueling denied antisemitism allegations, insisting the decision was safety-driven. The Civil Guard stated officers were unaware of the group’s Jewish identity. However, Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli and some Israeli media labeled the incident antisemitic, citing the Hebrew singing. The ministers criticized Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente for a deleted July 26 X post calling the teens “Israeli brats,” arguing it conflated French Jews with Israeli citizens amid rising antisemitism in Europe since October 7, 2023. They demanded a thorough investigation by Vueling and Spanish authorities.

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The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain also urged Vueling for transparency. Twenty-three minors and two adults flew back on another airline, while others stayed overnight in a hotel. A lawyer for Club Kineret filed a complaint alleging physical and psychological violence and religious discrimination. Posts on X amplified the controversy, with some users decrying antisemitism and others supporting Vueling’s safety stance.

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