Wiesenthal Centre Protest: Tel Aviv Passengers in Lyon Airport Victims of an Apparent Customary and Deliberate Form of Anti-Semitic Boycott

"Aviapartner baggage handlers allegedly claimed they were overburdened with work... but, while all other flightpassengers serviced by them got their baggage on time, only the Tel Aviv passengers had to wait two tense hours..."

"We hope the internal enquiry will be swift, transparent and conclusive to unveil a form of antisemitic boycottresulting in disciplinary measures."

Paris - In a letter to CliveSauvé-Hopkins, CEO of Aviapartner airport services company, Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed "shock to learn that, Sundayafternoon, the passengers of Transavia Flight from Tel Aviv to Lyon were left waiting for two hours for their baggage, in what appeared to be a deliberate form of boycott byAviapartner baggage handlers."

The letter continued, "When the passengers protested after seeing other later flights duly serviced, the Police had tointervene and mediate, in order to allow them to obtain their luggage."

"The Aviapartner baggage handlers allegedly claimed they were overburdened with work and aggressively confronted by thepassengers..." continued Samuels, "Nevertheless, looking at the arrivals timetable (of flights handled by Aviapartner), the Transavia flight from Tel Aviv arrived one hour after theAir Algérie 16:15 flight from Sétif, 20 minutes before the TAP flight from Lisbon, 30 minutes before another Air Algérie flight from Algiers, followed by a string of flights at17:55, from Casablanca, Paris and Frankfurt."

The letter stated that, "None of the passengers from these flights seemed to have protested the late delivery of theirbaggage. Apparently, all other flight passengers serviced by Aviapartner got their baggage on time, within the usual half-hour delay from landing. Only the Tel Aviv passengers hadto wait for a tense two hours..."

According to other sources, the late delivery of baggage from incoming Tel Aviv flights is customary at the Lyonairport, and seems to be a deliberate, politically-motivated form of discrimination by a handful of employees.

Incidentally, the same airport was at the centre of a scandal in March 2018, when violently antisemitic and homophobicattacks were proffered by a baggage handler on Twitter (see: https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/2237743-20180314-lyon-employe-aeroport-vire-provisoirement-apres-propos-homophobes-antisemites-reseaux-sociaux). Theemployee was apparently reintegrated after a short suspension.

"Any form of boycott towards Israel or Israeli citizens is deemed - according to the International HolocaustRemembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism - to be an antisemitic act under French law. Your services have apparently opened anenquiry into this latest episode," noted Samuels, adding, "We hope it will be swift, transparent and conclusive, with disciplinary measures - from Aviapartners leadership -throughout your company" concluded Samuels.

The letter was copied to the corporate and institutional shareholders of the Lyon Airport.

For further information, contact Shimon Samuels at csweurope@gmail.com