All five security staff at Heathrow Terminal 4’s Fast Track lane were sporting Palestinian Flag badges when scanning El Al passengers and their luggage.

El Al passengers who were on their way to catch their flight back to Tel Aviv last Sunday 16 June 2024 felt intimidated by this display of badges on the lanyards of the security staff.  Two of the staff were also wearing watermelon badges – these days a symbol for Palestinian solidarity and “resistance”.

One of the passengers remarked “The people responsible for making sure terrorists don’t blow up aeroplanes were wearing badges that identify with terrorists.”  A passenger complained and eventually the five security staff were moved and replaced by others, and their badges were taken.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written a letter of complaint to Heathrow’s services director, pointing out that not only were the staff in breach of Heathrow’s own uniform regulations by wearing political badges, they were also breaching the Equality Act 2010.

By wearing the badges, the security staff engaged in “unwanted conduct” relevant to a protected characteristic  (being Jewish and Israeli), and this had the purpose of creating an intimidating and hostile and offensive environment for them.

This show of anti-Israel feeling amongst Heathrow staff comes just a week after all the passengers from an  El Al flight were taken to one side at customs at Heathrow, whilst going through the Nothing to Declare channel, and made to have their luggage scanned. The passengers were made to feel as if they were being called out as Jews.

A spokesperson from UKLFI commented:  “It is obvious that if staff wear these badges it would make most Jewish, Israeli and Israel supporting passengers feel uncomfortable and unsafe, particularly in the area of security checking at Heathrow.

We would like to know why so many security officers were allowed to wear highly offensive, divisive and political badges attached to their Heathrow uniform, when it was a breach of Heathrow’s uniform policy.”

Update 19.6.24:  A Heathrow spokesperson has told the Evening Standard: “Everyone should feel safe and welcome at Heathrow. We have guidance on what colleagues can wear at work, if that guidance is not followed, we will ensure those items are removed immediately, as was the case in this instance.”