Overview

• On Monday morning at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, an air traffic controller broadcast “Free Palestine” over the radio to the crew of an El Al flight departing Roissy.
• The pilots reported the incident to El Al management, prompting the airline to notify French authorities and trigger an administrative investigation.
• Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said recordings verified the slogan and that it violated aviation communication rules and the duty of political neutrality, leading to the controller’s immediate suspension.
• Officials identified the controller as a member of the CRNA Nord centre in Athis-Mons and have removed him from all duties while the Ministry of Transport and the DGAC conduct a disciplinary inquiry.
• Jewish organization Crif condemned the act as unacceptable and its president spoke with the minister following a series of recent anti-Israel incidents in Paris.