After Brussels Airlines appears to have banned the popular Israeli ‘halva’ snack from being served on its flights, the carrier has come under fire for siding with the anti-Israel boycott movement.
Israel’s Tourism Minister Yariv Levin condemned Brussels Airlines’ removal of a desert produced in an Israeli factory situated in Samaria from its menu, saying the decision was “inappropriate and places a black flag of shame on the tails of the company’s planes.”
He seemingly issued a threat to the airline when he stated on Wednesday that “such a company has no room in the skies of the State of Israel, and it is appropriate that its name be stricken from the Ben Gurion airport flight billboard.”
The Belgian airline dropped the Israeli sesame snacks made by Achva three weeks ago at the behest of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which claimed the product is made on “occupied land.”
Brussels Airlines said the snack was “controversial.”
The airline’s decision has brought several passengers to cancel their flights in protest of its decision, and has sparked an online #BoycottBrusselsAirlines campaign.
“Removing Israeli products to please racists is ridiculous,” wrote one protester. “Pleasing antisemites by removing Israeli products. Shitty company,” wrote another one on Facebook.
“No matter how cheap you make your flights, I will not support a company that is pleasing racists,” another person wrote. “No more Brussels Airlines, pleasing racists by removing Israeli products is disgusting,” a protester added.
“So if everyone want Asian people or products from Africa to be banned from your flights you will please them too? Or only things from the Jewish state?” one protester asked.
Achva’s owner said he would be affected only in a minor fashion by Brussels Airlines’ decision.
