“I hear you as I’d be terrified as nicely, personally,” the airline wrote, in accordance with screenshots on social media of the deleted response. “Our staff mirror our tradition and we don’t take it flippantly when our coverage shouldn’t be being adopted.”
A Delta spokesperson mentioned in a press release to The Washington Submit on Thursday that the airline’s social media publish “was not in keeping with our values and our mission.” The spokesperson mentioned the group member who wrote the publish “has been recommended and now not helps Delta’s social channels,” however didn’t specify whether or not the group member nonetheless labored for Delta.
The flight attendants, who had been photographed on separate flights, are nonetheless working for the airline and have acquired assist from the corporate, Delta mentioned in a press release. Though it beforehand permitted pins representing international locations outdoors the US to be worn on uniforms, Delta mentioned that beginning Monday, solely U.S. flag pins will probably be allowed — a transfer the airline mentioned it made in response to this week’s incident.
Palestinian activists condemned Delta’s response, and a number of other social media customers mentioned they deliberate to boycott the airline.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the nationwide deputy govt director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, informed The Submit that he initially hoped Delta’s tweet had not been written by somebody who labored on the airline. He mentioned the publish may make folks assume the Palestinian flag is “an icon of a hate group.”
“What occurred with Delta is simply the newest instance of anti-Palestinian racism,” Mitchell mentioned, including that CAIR welcomed Delta’s apology. “And my hope is that this incident will start to slowly, slowly transfer the needle in a unique path.”
CAIR mentioned in April that it had acquired greater than 8,000 civil rights complaints in 2023, the very best in its 30-year historical past. Palestinian People have confronted worry and violence amid the warfare in Gaza, The Submit reported, with their assist for civilians within the Gaza Strip misconstrued as assist for Hamas, the militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2006.
Hamas’s flag has Islamic textual content on a inexperienced background, whereas the Palestinian flag is a black, white and inexperienced tricolor with a purple triangle on the left.
Federal officers mentioned final 12 months that they’d recognized a spike in threats towards Arab, Jewish and Muslim communities after the warfare started.
Israel launched a navy assault in Gaza after Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 folks and taking some 250 hostage. Greater than 38,000 Palestinians have died within the enclave up to now 9 months.
Israel’s warfare in Gaza and the rising demise toll have triggered protests throughout the US, together with in company America. In April, Google fired 28 staff for publicly protesting a contract Google had with the Israeli authorities.
