El Al faces backlash after moving female passengers away from ultra-Orthodox male travellers. Photo / 123RF
Israeli airline El Al is facing new allegations of discrimination after moving two female passengers under pressure from male ultra-Orthodox travellers who refused to sit next to women.
The flight from New York to Tel Aviv was delayed by more than an hour until the women were forced to move.
Khen Rotem, who was on the flight, wrote on Facebook, according to the Times of Israel, that airline crew originally tried to reason with the men. However, because they were also women, the four men involved wouldn't speak to them.
"The crew tries to solve the problem. This doesn't work. The female flight attendants clear space for the authoritative men on board … the ultra-Orthodox are not ready to speak with, or even look at the female flight attendants," Mr Rotem wrote.
"All the men in the crew, except for the captain, are now only dealing with this instead of preparing for takeoff and serving the passengers. The ultra-Orthodox don't blink. One of the crew members threatens: 'If you don't sit down, you can get off the plane right now.'"
