Friday, June 24, 2011

Boycott Delta till they stop this anti-semitic practice

good news the latest


1) Will Delta ever deny passage to a Jew or an Israeli, regardless =
of destination, if they have proper ticketing and documentation?

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Absolutely not. Delta Air Lines does not discriminate nor do we condone =
discrimination against any of our customers in regards to age, race, =
nationality, religion, or gender.=20

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2) Does Delta=E2=80=99s alliance with other airlines indicate an =
endorsement of particular policies of the airline or country, other than =
standard airline protocol?

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No. Delta, like all international airlines, is required to comply with =
all applicable laws governing entry into every country we serve. =
Passengers are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents =
required for entry into another country prior to traveling, and Delta is =
responsible for ensuring that every passenger that boards our aircraft =
has the proper documentation, often including visa and certification of =
necessary vaccinations. This does not indicate an endorsement of any =
particular policy.

3) Does Delta share profits with Saudi Arabian Airlines as a result of =
this arrangement?
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Delta does not have a codesharing arrangement with Saudi Arabian =
Airlines, and has indicated that it does not plan to enter into any such =
arrangement in the future.

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4) Did Delta=E2=80=99s cancelation of service between Atlanta and Tel =
Aviv come as a result of this new alliance?

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No. Delta announced earlier this year it would be reducing its capacity =
on trans-Atlantic flights in winter 2011 in response to high jet fuel =
prices. The seasonal suspension of Atlanta-Tel Aviv service is part of =
that reduction. Delta expects to resume its Atlanta-Tel Aviv service in =
2012.


richard.anderson@delta.com is the CEO of Delta
and allison.ausband@delta.com> is Vice President, Reservations, Sales and
Customer Care.

Delta will add Saudi Arabian Airlines to its SkyTeam Alliance of partnering companies and would require Delta to ban Jews and holders of Israeli passports from boarding flights to Saudi Arabia. The partnership was originally announced by Delta Airlines in a press release on January 10, 2011.

World Net Daily reported that this issue "first was presented to Congress, the public and others by talk radio host and former U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy, whose own battle against discrimination was documented when his former radio station demanded he tone down criticism of Islam on his program. He then left the station."

The article included correspondence from Kathy M. Johnston, Delta's coordinator of Customer Care, explaining that Delta does not discriminate nor condone discrimination against any protected class of passenger in regards to age, race, nationality, religion, or gender. However, she stated , Delta must comply with all applicable laws in every country it serves. That means that if the Saudi government denies Jews from entering its country and Delta brings them there on its flight they can be fined.

The issue here is one of principle. Delta isn't being forced to include Saudi Arabian Airlines into its Sky Team Alliance. In fact, Delta could stand on principle and refuse to include Saudi Arabian Airlines based on its discriminatory policy. No, it's not Delta's fault that the Saudi government is anti-Semitic, but it doesn't have to go along with it. It's as if the Saudis are telling Delta that when it comes to Jewish passengers it's name should become an acronym: "Don't Even Let Them Aboard."

I know I'm not the only one who finds it troubling that Delta would go along with Saudi Arabia's policy of not allowing Jews on their flights. While I'm not planning a vacation to Riyadh any time soon, I would have a hard time flying with Delta knowing they are collaborating with the discriminatory government of Saudi Arabia.

The American Center for Law and Justice has already taken up this issue and I have no doubt that organizations like the Anti-Defamation League will not be far behind.
I have no doubt that this matter will not quietly go away. The Jewish community will not feel comfortable flying Delta knowing about its new association with Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Rabbi Jason is on Facebook

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