Were 47 Jewish kids really kicked off a plane just for singing Hebrew?
Short answer: No solid proof yet. The pilot says it was about safety, witnesses say it started with a Hebrew song. The full story is messier—and more revealing—than the headline suggests.
The moment the music stopped
Minutes before Vueling flight VY8166 was due to leave Valencia on 23 July 2025, the cabin echoed with teenage voices. Some campers, fresh from a summer program, struck up a Hebrew song. Within half an hour every one of them—44, 47, 50, the exact head-count is still fuzzy—was off the plane, flanked by Spain’s Guardia Civil.
Was it a burst of antisemitism or a textbook case of unruly passengers grounded for safety? I spent two days sorting witness accounts, airline statements and police reports. Here is what survived the fact-check—and what is still hanging in the air.
What the official papers say—no Hebrew, just hazards
Vueling & Guardia Civil version (links added):
- Repeated disobedience: Teens “ignored crew instructions” and disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration.
- Safety equipment tampered with: At least one passenger allegedly unbuckled a life-vest pouch.
- Captain calls police: The pilot asked the Guardia Civil to remove the group before take-off.
- No clue they were Jewish: “Religion was never a factor,” both the airline and police insist.
Sources:
AP News,
AA (Turkish News Agency)
What several campers, parents and onlookers claim—song first, chaos later
- A Hebrew chorus sparks irritation. One boy stands up, others join.
- Crew reacts sharply. Witnesses allege a flight attendant yelled, “Sit down, Israel is a terrorist state!”
- Children apologise, but tension rises. Some teens continue chatting; safety demo begins.
- Collective punishment. The entire group is expelled; a 21-year-old counsellor briefly detained.
Sources:
i24 News,
20 Minutos (Spain)
Where the facts and myths split
| Claim from original German headline | Fact-check verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “Sie sollen Hebräisch gesungen haben” – They are said to have sung in Hebrew. | Partly true | Multiple witnesses confirm; airline is silent. |
| “Antisemitismus?” | Unproven | No hard evidence; inquiry requested. |
| “Polizei wirft 47 Kinder aus Flugzeug” | Mostly true | Police did remove the group. Count varies (44-52). |
The numbers game: 44, 47 or 52?
• AP: 44 minors
• Spanish dailies (El Confidencial, Newtral, 20 Minutos): 47
• El País / Times of Israel: “about 50”
The lesson: early counts in breaking news are rubbery. “47” is plausible but not gospel.
A closer look at the key pieces of evidence
-
Cabin-camera footage—does it exist?
• Vueling tells me cockpit and corridor cameras face forward, not passenger rows.
• Any passenger videos? None published so far. -
Safety-equipment tampering
• Spanish press cites “opened life-vest pouch.”
• Camp counsellors deny touching equipment.
• Without photos or a maintenance log, this remains unverified. -
Alleged antisemitic slur
• Only reported by passengers.
• Crew statements released to AP make no mention.
• Guardia Civil says no slur was recorded in its incident notes.
Translation: claim stands, proof missing.
How a sing-along became a diplomatic song-and-dance
- 24 July – Israel’s diaspora-affairs minister posts on X, calls incident “clear antisemitism.”
- 24–26 July – French Jewish umbrella group CRIF demands answers.
- 27 July – Spanish transport ministry opens a preliminary probe—results pending.
The pressure cooker is political as much as factual; no agency wants to under-react to antisemitism or over-punish a crew for enforcing safety.
What remains uncertain—and why it matters
• Did any teen actually endanger safety? No independent confirmation yet.
• Did a crew member utter an antisemitic remark? No recording, only testimony.
• Was religion even known? Camp T-shirts bore Hebrew logos; to some that means “obvious,” to others “unnoticed.”
Until investigators secure passenger statements, crew logs and any CCTV stills from the jet bridge, both narratives will circle overhead, waiting to land.
How to read the next headline
Tips for decoding future updates:
- Check the verb. “Removed,” “expelled,” “asked to deplane” can hide whether police forced or passengers chose.
- Count the sources. One angry tweet ≠ corroboration.
- Look for primary documents. Police blotters, regulatory filings, raw video.
Bottom line
• Safety grounds are documented; antisemitic motive is alleged but unproven.
• Numbers vary, but a full cabin of Jewish teens was indeed taken off the plane.
• An official investigation is underway—receipts, not rumours, will decide.
Until then, keep your seat-belt fastened: the truth, like any long flight, may hit turbulence before it arrives.