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| Spanish pilot's 'Palestine' remark probed by airline | Spanish pilot's 'Palestine' remark probed by airline |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Spanish airline Iberia is investigating complaints that the captain of a flight arriving in Israel announced he was "landing in Palestine". | Spanish airline Iberia is investigating complaints that the captain of a flight arriving in Israel announced he was "landing in Palestine". |
| Passengers said the pilot made the announcement in Spanish, and then said in English the plane was about to land, without mentioning Palestine or Israel. | Passengers said the pilot made the announcement in Spanish, and then said in English the plane was about to land, without mentioning Palestine or Israel. |
| An Iberia spokeswoman said the crew were being questioned but apologised for "any misunderstanding". | An Iberia spokeswoman said the crew were being questioned but apologised for "any misunderstanding". |
| "We've opened an investigation to find out what's happened," she said. | "We've opened an investigation to find out what's happened," she said. |
| "We're an airline whose purpose is to take our customers to their final destination in a safe fashion no matter what their nationality, race, or religion. | "We're an airline whose purpose is to take our customers to their final destination in a safe fashion no matter what their nationality, race, or religion. |
| "Before the investigation reaches a conclusion, what we can say is we are sorry for the misunderstanding," the spokeswoman told the BBC. | "Before the investigation reaches a conclusion, what we can say is we are sorry for the misunderstanding," the spokeswoman told the BBC. |
| The incident happened as the Iberia Airlines flight 3316 approached Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. | The incident happened as the Iberia Airlines flight 3316 approached Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. |
| One Israeli passenger, named only as Lior, told Israel's Channel 2 TV: "We were just in shock, I don't understand why he said that. | One Israeli passenger, named only as Lior, told Israel's Channel 2 TV: "We were just in shock, I don't understand why he said that. |
| "We live in the State of Israel and he should have said 'Israel', he didn't absentmindedly say it in English, it was intentional." | "We live in the State of Israel and he should have said 'Israel', he didn't absentmindedly say it in English, it was intentional." |
| Another passenger wrote a letter of complaint to Iberia, saying: "My family and I were terribly offended. It was not at all acceptable and has done a disservice to your company." | |
| Israel became independent on part of what had been British Mandate Palestine following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War One. The land was known as Palestine after Roman times, and the name is still applied to the area by Palestinians and ideological opponents of the Jewish state. | Israel became independent on part of what had been British Mandate Palestine following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War One. The land was known as Palestine after Roman times, and the name is still applied to the area by Palestinians and ideological opponents of the Jewish state. |
| Israel and the Palestinians officially back a two-state solution to their conflict, with a Palestinian state emerging alongside Israel, but years of on-off peace talks have so far been unsuccessful. | Israel and the Palestinians officially back a two-state solution to their conflict, with a Palestinian state emerging alongside Israel, but years of on-off peace talks have so far been unsuccessful. |