Earlier in the month a Royal Jordanian pilot made a PA announcement while the plane was flying over Israel, addressing passengers in both Arabic and English that they were flying over “Palestinian lands,” invited passengers on the left side to look at Jerusalem, the “eternal capital of Palestine,” and pointing out Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, Haram al-Sharif, and Bethlehem. Local reaction in Israel is heated.
- Royal Jordanian hasn’t been flying regular Amman – Tel Aviv since 7/10, but continues to overfly Israeli airspace on routes to Europe and the U.S.
- Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994 establishing diplomatic relation and, among other things, civil aviation cooperation. It commits each side to refrain from hostile or discriminatory propaganda and includes a consultation mechanism for alleged violations.
- There is a move to seek treaty consultation over this, amidst regulatory threats to withdraw Jordanian overflight rights. That will not happen here. The treaty creates real obligations, and ‘anti-propaganda’ language covers state conduct not an idiot pilot in their private capacity. The treaty also explicitly preserves freedom of expression.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen a Royal Jordanian pilot make this sort of announcement. In 2017, a Royal Jordanian captain flying Amman – New York told passengers they were heading toward “Palestine” and would pass north of “Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine.” That came right after the U.S. ad recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
I’ve written about the Ryanair flight to Tel Aviv where a flight attendant repeatedly announced the they would be landing in “occupied Palestine” rather than Israel. Ryanair called it an “innocent mistake” and said there were no intended political overtones. Police were called on passengers who tried to photograph the crewmember. (Notably, Tel Aviv is only ‘Palestine’ to those who want to obliterate Israel entirely ‘from the River to the Sea’).
Swiss has turned off its moving map before Tel Aviv, they say, to “remain neutral.” JetBlue fired the vendor for its moving map after Israel was overwritten as “Palestinian Territories.”
At the creation of Israel in 1948, when Arab armies invaded, Transjordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem (Egypt controlled Gaza). Jordan annexed the West Bank in 1950 and remained in control there until 1967. The monarchy still holds a special custodial role over Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. More than two million Palestinians live in the country (about 20% of the population). However the government doesn’t want this number to grow. Non-citizen Palestinians, especially those with ties to post-1967 Gaza, face significant restrictions accessing jobs, services and rights.
Gary, clever little euphemism at the top, bravo.
“at the creation of Israel in 1948, when Arab armies invaded”
The Haganah ethnically cleansed 700,000 Palestinians in the Nakba. Your framing, which suggests that Arab armies invaded Israel out of thin air, is extremely disingenuous and probably qualifies as genocide denial.
A helpful reading list:
Ilan Pappé. (2006). The ethnic cleansing of Palestine
Shlaim, Avi (2023). Three worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew
Even pro-Israel historians such as Benny Morris have conceded that ethnic cleansing took place.
Please, you do your readers a disservice by merely spouting propaganda
Swap the Middle East for Asia… if a JAL pilot flying over the contested Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, announced them on the PA as the “eternal, sovereign territory of Japan!” …what would Xi say?
Happy memories on El Al as the plane approaches Israel when the pilot announces first in Hebrew “Aud shloshim dakot anachnu ba tel aviv ” then in english that we will arrive in about 30 minutes!
Just more proof that they are not culturally capable of Enlightened modern pluralistic self-governance, so they need a King.
@Drew That’s an incredibly disingenuous framing. Are you seriously suggesting Arab armies invaded because of Palestinian refugees? Arab armies invaded after the UN partition plan was accepted internationally and rejected by the Arab side. Five Arab states invaded immediately after Israel declared independence.
It is flat out untrue to say that Benny Morris supports Pappe’s claim of pre-planned centralized enthnic cleaning. He says there were expulsions, and sometimes brutal ones, but that there was no master plan or blanket policy of removing Arabs. There are over 2 million Palestinian Arab citizens in Israel today, over 20% of the population. Those who stayed became citizens.
The Palestinian exodus was multi-causal. Some left in fear. Some were told to leave, expecting to return quickly. There was a general breakdown of Arab society during a regional war that many fled. And others were expelled or removed from their homes by the property owners.
I’m not the one “merely spouting propaganda.”
Calling disagreement with Pappe “genocidal denial” is completely unserious. Genocide requires intent to destroy a protected group, not disagreement over the causes of a wartime refugee crisis.
@Drew: Assuming you think that the deal today was not Trump unconditionally surrendering to the Iranian Mullahs.
Don’t think Ahmed will be making any P/A’s for awhile.
Tell your AI slop bot that in America October 7 isn’t 7-10
Given what’s going on last few days – if the Iranian Mullahs demanded this text be in the now famous “MOU”, team Trump would have put it in there too LOL
There’s no Palestinians on earth . They are Arabians living in Israel.
@Drew you’re a moron with no knowledge of history of the Middle East. You’re brainwashed by pro-palestinian propaganda. I’m sure you don’t even know that there was no such group of ppl like “palestinians” until mid-1960’s, when Soviet propaganda invented them out of thin air. Keep reading another moron, Benny Morris. He’s the same dumb a$$ as you.
@jack the ladd — Isn’t it time for my lame attempts of comic relief, again? *comedian voice* “…what’s the deal with ‘hummus’? …why’s everyone so worked up about ‘hummus’? …It’s delicious!” *laugh track* “…and don’t get me started on this ‘Akbar’ guy …always yelling: ‘Who’s Akbar!!’” *bass riff*
@Stvr – I wrote it that way on purpose. No AI. An easy way to tell I’m writing this myself is all of my frequent typos.
@Gary Leff — Would this be akin to an Aeromexico pilot referring to that body of water as the Gulf of Mexico instead of the renamed Gulf of America? Or Aerolineas Argentina calling the Falklands as Islas Malvines? Or a Greek airline, like Aegean referring to Turkey, instead of their dictator’s preferred re-name of that country? Or India and Pakistan doing what they do restricting airspace? Or…
…SAA referring to Rhodesia or Zaire. Or, flying into Belgrade, but reverting to Yugoslavia. Wait, what’s a Czechoslovakia? Or, no, not St. Petersburg (Florida?), they’re going back to Leningrad… keeping the PIE airport code though. Yum!
Gary – I know you are Jewish but why fixate one these episodes. You won’t change people’s feeling and they are essentially click bait that obviously bother you
An excellent reason not to flyt this piece of crap airline.
@Retired Gambler — Aloha! From the Kingdom of Hawaii. No, wait, “Buenos dias!” from the future state of Puerto Rico! (Anyone offended, yet? Get outraged! Grrr!!)
It’s really weird how western leftists have made bedfellows with the most anti woman, anti gay, anti civil liberties, intolerant religion on earth. It’s really a strange line in the sand (pun intended) to want through bloodshed the 99% Muslim middle east to be 100%. I think you people need to recheck your ideals, you’re so TDS inflicted that your gut reflex of opposing anything Trump wants to do is making you look retarded.
@Retired Gambler
I disagree. People change their minds, especially dumb leftists. If Trump comes out and says something anti Israel, suddenly they will be pro Israel. Best to occasionally seed their mushy brains with a few facts before they go full retard.
Palestine has more international recognition than Kosovo you’re welcome to be pro-Israel but you can’t just make up facts like “Palestinians don’t exist”.
Palestine is as much a country as Mantisland. No sovereign land, no defensible borders, no government, but a thought in my head. Basically the same. I demand UN representation.
I will never fly this airlines.
@Mantis — In my quest to find something that would upset everyone, I forgot Mantisland. Oof. (Next time, Dr. Toboggan, next time…)
@Gary
We disagree strongly but thanks for engaging.
Benny Morris does in fact agree that ethnic cleansing took place in 1948. In “The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947-1949” he documents widespread ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. His central distinction with Pappe is that he feels the ethnic cleansing was not ‘pre-meditated from the top’ – i.e. Ben Gurion did not wake up in 1947 with a plan to expel the Palestinians. Personally, I think that plan did exist (Ben-Gurion in his diaries said that Palestinians would need to be expelled for a majority Jewish state). But in any event, the charge here is ethnic cleansing, which could have happened with or without a diktat from the top to that effect.
You mention 20% of Israelis being Arab (this is endlessly cited by Israel defenders). The reality is that the 20% here is due to a variety of factors, but none disprove the ethnic cleansing policy. The reasons are a) they come from the Galilee, which the Jewish militias got to later, b) during the 1949 armistice land swaps. Ethnic cleansing doesn’t require Israel cleansing every last Arab, so I’m not sure how this 20% figure proves or disproves anything.
I don’t make any of these arguments to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist now by the way. Many countries have done terrible things in the past, including ours (the US), and to that end I don’t think the Nakba means Israel should be ‘destroyed’. That said, I do think historical accuracy is key here and the idea that the Nakba wasn’t ethnic cleansing is more or less roundly disproven by the bulk of historians, from the New Historians even to more Israel-friendly ones like Morris.
@Mantis – I enjoyed reading your comments and agree with them.
@Drew – As a guest here, you sure act like you own the place. But then you proudly spew ignorance, so I am not surprised. Palestine / Mantisland has been given every opportunity to exist independently and has spit in everyone’s face. Congratulations on quoting an author that has published lies. Printing lies does not make one legitimate. I believe it was Democrat historian Doris Kerns Goodwin that published lies and she was still praised by the Dems and media.
OK, Johnny Jihad is a captain for Royal Jordanian. Good to know….and avoid.
Did someone point out the Western Wall which was part of King Solomon’s Temple built in 528 BC?
@Michael Mainello, @Mantis — You may want to check-in with your base on how they actually feel about Israel these days… bit a of ‘horseshoe’ issue. Far-left and far-right have lost their way on this.
@1990 – Thanks for you concern, but I will go with the truth and not be swayed by the ignorant herd.
@Mantis,
Thanks for your idiotic, bigoted nonsensical comment.
Apropos, ” anti woman, anti gay, anti civil liberties, intolerant religion on earth”- is what Texas and other Red states are trying to accomplish.
@jacobin
Thanks for not refuting anything I said with any evidence, logic, or original thought. Oh, bigoted? Uh how? Reality is bigoted I guess . Do you think Hamas butchering infants, raping women, taking hostages for a year was bigoted? You’re officially a retard. Your parents must be proud.
@Mantis,
Actually you missed my point about Texas/Red States – flew right over your head (pun intended).
Maybe you can explain why countries such as Turkey, Albania, Kosovo are all majority Muslim, yet secular, aligned with many EU policies, etc. Maybe you can explain why countries such as Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain have LEGALIZED homosexuality.
As the famous saying goes,
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
YOU are the PERFECT example of it.
@Michael Mainello — And, I’m guessing you feel that whatever you say is automatically ‘true,’ and whatever anyone else says, if different, is not. (That’s some Tim-Dunn-level logic.) You will have your preferences and interpretations, but there’s still an objective reality for most things. And, here, it’s far more complex and nuanced than any one ‘true’ thing.
@jacobwhatever
I’m struggling to understand retard logic, forgive me. So your contention is that because some Muslim dominated countries haven’t yet executed their gay populations and removed any women’s rights, and haven’t yet launched a terrorist attack yet against Israel beheading babies, raping and murdering women, and taking hundreds hostage, that somehow that’s less offensive than Texas, because they don’t want retard leftists to mutilate children, cutting off their genitals before puberty to satisfy their sick trans agenda? Is that really your point? I can’t converse with you anymore, you are dangerously brainwashed and/or insane. Seek help.
Odd my friends in Texas and other die-hard GOP states, where people I know who *are* in power, have no problem with women, gays, etc. Its this entire “must allow children to mutilate their privates at the age of 6, but they gotta wait until 25 to rent a car” – and pride fests that rub sexuality in their faces.
I have MORE problems with my libtard friends than my Tea Party friends, go figure.
And I’m a gay man!
As someone with a former partner that was from the middle east, while “homosexuality” has been, well, decriminalized, its still very much faux paux and you will be punished for it by the church (Islam), work, AND family. Odd that Israel is the only place where an Arab homo can live in peace without worrying about getting slaughtered (like they did to a bunch of kweers in Doha last year, oh wait, the MSN and whats-her-name-Biden Loving MSNBC Rachel person – didn’t report on it). Oops.
Meh, I’ll fly Royal Jordanian still – knowing they are 100% in favor of an Arab state where Israel is. Mostly because I haven’t flown them yet and have a chance in 2 weeks. Big deal I that most Jordanians want to wipe out Israel (but funny enough, do NOT support the Palestineans! They closed the border to them like 10 years ago!). I mean, even Hitler wanted to get rid of the jews and convinced the German voters to do it. Now, the Democratic party is doing that job for him! Heil Hamas & Mamdummy.
@1990 – Were you starring in mirror while you wrote that comment. Bless your heart.
@haolenate — Ah, yes, you’re ‘one of the good ones.’ But, the leopards won’t eat MY face.
@Mantis – liberals always go to insults if you don’t agree with them 99.9% of the time.
@Mike Mainello — No, sir, it is you who are the king of projecting.
@1990 – Maybe you should read more. Do some research on Brandon Stratka
It is the Democrats and their supporters that are violent..
@1990 – You are the queen of praising failed government solutions and insulting anyone that disagrees with you. BTW, at least you know my gender.
@Mantis
Having an emotional meltdown or something? Nothing intelligent to say besides insults and nonsensical claims?
I’ve already proven that you are an ignorant bigot.
I think its time you go back to your room and play with your toys. This is an adult forum where one can debate merits of a particular subject without the need for insults and inflammatory statements.
@jacobin777 — @Mantis lives in Asia, so it’s probably past his bedtime.
@Michael Mainello — Keep digging that hole deeper. You think this new “Treaty of Versailles” is gonna go better than the last one? (The MOU).
@1990…I see…LOL!
@1990 – I would be worried if you thought it was successful.
Hope you are enjoying the lower gas and food prices. Mortgage and rent drop if the fed would lower rates, but it might happen in the future.
@ 1990. No
And “no” I see no point in responding to Mantis’s polemics. Might as well be teaching Latin to a dog. Like Allan Cranston’s view on Mein Kampf, better to just let him carryon. Although I do wonder what in the world with his views he is doing in Asia and how he survives, but I’m at not interested enough to ask.
@Michael Mainello — Ah, yes, now everything is free, a socialist utopia…
@jack the ladd — Ironically, probably for “affordability.”
@1990 Michael Mainello is right you should thanking Trump for lowering gas prices and inflation (which is actually good and not bad). I bet you don’t even think the White House should have a ballroom.
If the usual leftist commenters would be on that flight they’d creaming their pants hearing that.
MelloYello: We don’t need to turn to insults to deal with you. You do such a great job insulting yourself and your fascist cohort.
And as for what should be done, it’s simple. The IDF needs to storm the Temple Mount and blow up al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock with the specified purpose of building the Third Temple. Any snackbar who chimps out at this gets shot. At the same time, Israel makes it clear that they destroyed Islam’s third holiest site. They’d have no issue with the first two, or anything specifically belonging to the pieces of Shi’ite. And they’ll come in hot. This sounds good to me.
@Winston said: “thanking Trump for lowering gas prices and inflation” Maybe don’t make claims easily refuted.
Biden’s last year: “U.S. inflation rate for 2024 was 2.95%”
Today: “Inflation Rate in the United States increased to 4.20 percent in May from 3.80 percent in April of 2026. Inflation Rate in the United States is expected to be 3.90 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations.”
Gas at Trump’s second inauguration: “WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 30, 2025)—Easing oil costs and tepid domestic demand helped pump prices ease up on the pedal, shedding two cents since last week to $3.11.”
Today: “Price as of 6/19/26 . .. $3.9730”
@This comes to mind says: You are correct, the inflation and gas are higher than when Biden left office congrats.
They never got as high as when Biden was in office.
Number 47 has executed a plan that has neutralized the #1 state sponsor of terror. He has united the middle east to help bring them back as a functioning nation. Yes, there are potential problems, that is life. He has also set the foundation for real, sustainable job growth. I don’t think we will see a downward adjustment of almost 1 million jobs like Biden’s Labor Department did right before their convention.
So pick away, I personally don’t give a deuce.
@This comes to mind says: You are correct, the inflation and gas are higher than when 46 left office congrats.
They never got as high as when 46 occupied the office. Number 47 has executed a plan that has neutralized the #1 state sponsor of terror. He has united the middle east to help bring them back as a functioning nation. Yes, there are potential problems, that is life. He has also set the foundation for real, sustainable job growth. I don’t think we will see a downward adjustment of almost 1 million jobs like 46’s Labor Department did right before their convention.
“Duplicate post less the names”
So pick away, I personally don’t give a deuce.
@O’Hare Is My Second Home
You sound like a typical zealot Zionist. Such a shame as I was born and raised in north burbs of Chicago and went to many bar mitzvahs growing up. None of my friends I grew up were you like. Actually, neither was my boss who was Jewish. He supported Palestinians.