If Germany doesn’t ban Kuwait Airlines from its airports, Israel should introduce a $1 tax on German citizens who transit through Israeli airports.
Doing so will send rightly protest the German court decision, this week, to justify Kuwait Airlines’ refusal to fly an Israeli passenger on the sole basis of their citizenship.
The passenger was booked on a Frankfurt to Bangkok flight, but was removed from the passenger manifest when Kuwait Airlines realized he/she was an Israeli citizen. According to the German court, the decision was justifiable in that German law does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of citizenship and Kuwait does not allow Israelis to visit its territory.
Fortunately, Frankfurt’s mayor has reacted angrily to the ruling. He told the BBC that “An airline that practices discrimination and anti-Semitism by refusing to fly Israeli passengers should not be able to take off or land in Frankfurt.”
The mayor, of course, is absolutely correct. His ban idea would cause economic damage to Kuwait Airlines by ruining their bookings. To be sure, the Kuwaitis might not back down, but they would pay a price for this disgusting act.
That said, if Germany does not act to restrict Kuwait Airlines transit rights, Israel should respond with its own retaliatory measures. A $1 tax on German citizens who transit through Israeli airports should do the trick.
While that $1 figure would not have a significant impact on the passengers (who are innocent in all this), it would clarify Israel’s tangible dissatisfaction to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It would also send a symbolic message: until you protect the interests of our citizens in Germany, your citizens will face a small penalty in our country.
It might seem silly, but there’s a crucial issue at play here. Namely, the sad encroachment of anti-Semitism in European civil society. While anti-Israel attitudes have long played a dominant role in European politics, there is something especially pernicious about a German court refusing to protect an Israeli citizen. If this decision is allowed to stand without retaliation, it will represent another quiet victory for those who hate Israelis and Jews for the sole sake of their identity. You can bet, for example, that neo-Nazis love the court’s ruling.
Whatever happens next, Americans can act immediately here and boycott Kuwait Airlines flights out of New York.
