Qantas crew don Palestinian pins while serving passengers on flight from Melbourne to Hobart

Photo: The headquarters of Qantas Airlines Limited in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Qantas Airways Limited, the leading airline in Australia, has received a rebuke from a national Jewish organization for a decision by staffers to display Palestinian flag pins on a Dec. 20 flight from Melbourne to Hobart.

A man who is not Jewish took photos of the staffers during the flight’s food service and told Sky News that he felt “intimidated” by the display.

“If employees are found to be using their roles for political activism while passengers are essentially captive in the air, they should be dismissed,” said Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association.

A spokesperson for Qantas stated that crew members cannot “wear any badges unless they are part of the approved uniform policy” and that “every customer should feel safe and respected when flying on a Qantas Aircraft.”