The Anti-Defamation League is calling out Lufthansa after the German carrier blocked a large group of travelers – seemingly because they were Jewish- from boarding a flight in Frankfurt, Germany. The carrier apologized for last week’s incident, calling it inconsistent with its policies and values. “We have zero tolerance for racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination of any type,” Lufthansa said Tuesday in a statement.
Lufthansa also said it should have limited its flight ban to passengers who refused to follow its rules.
“While Lufthansa is still reviewing the facts and circumstances of that day, we regret that the large group was denied boarding rather than limiting it to the non-compliant guests,” the airline added. “We apologize to all the passengers unable to travel on this flight, not only for the inconvenience, but also for the offense caused and personal impact.”
CBS reports that the ADL, the anti-hate organization, dismissed Lufthansa’s statement as insufficient and vague.
“This non-apology fails to admit fault or identify the banned passengers as Jews. It also refers to them as a group, even though many were strangers. They had one commonality — being visibly Jewish,” the group stated in a tweet. “In addition to investigating, ensuring accountability and taking steps to repair the harm, including compensating the victims to the extent possible, Lufthansa, as a German company, has a special responsibility to educate its staff.”
CBS reports that Yad Vashem director Dani Dayan, the former Consul General of Israel in New York and the director of Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, also weighed in. Lufthansa’s statement “is not an apology,” he tweeted. “We expect you to do better…”
Source: Matzav
