A Luton Airport security officer harassed and abused an Israeli citizen who was travelling back to Israel after a book tour in London.
Alon Penzel, aged 23, had spent a week in England to promote his new book, “Testimonies without Boundaries: Israel October 7th 2023”, which includes first-hand accounts from Nova Festival survivors and medical and rescue volunteers.
He had been invited to speak at a House of Lords event by the eminent historian, Lord Andrew Roberts, and this was the main reason for his trip. Mr Penzel was carrying a publicity sign for his book tour under his arm, but facing towards his body so the writing on it was mainly obscured.
The Luton Airport security officer
- Falsely accused him of protesting in the airport, when he was simply walking towards his boarding gate
- Falsely accused him of displaying his book sign in the airport, when he was carrying it with the blank back of the sign facing outwards
- Told him that the sign, which read “Alon Penzel, Testimonies Without Boundaries, Israel: October 7th 2023, Together in Remembrance,” was political and that many people would find it offensive
- Said October 7th was “only one incident out of many since 1948,” implying that Israel was to blame for the massacre on 7 October
- Told him there had been illegal occupation since 1948 [in Israel], implying that Israel did not have a right to exist at all
- Caused him to be falsely detained for over an hour, in public, by a group of security officers, while they cross examined him and investigated the CCTV footage to see if he had been in a protest.
UKLFI has written to the Alberto Martin, chief executive of London Luton Airport Ltd, to point out that much of what the security officer said to Mr Penzel was antisemitic and that he appeared to be punishing Mr Penzel on the basis of his own antisemitic attitude by detaining him.
UKLFI also accused the security officer, as a representative of the airport, of harassing Mr Penzel by making false accusations against him, by haranguing him with racist political views, and by causing him to be detained in public for over an hour, causing him great anxiety.
UKLFI has told Luton Airport’s chief executive that it is likely to have breached Section 29 of the Equality Act 2010 by subjecting Mr Penzel to “detriments”, as described above, and by harassing him, according to the definition under the Act, which means creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.
Mr Penzel, as an Israeli and a Jew, had the protected characteristics in accordance with Section 4 of the Act of Race, Religion or Belief, so was protected by the Act.
UKLFI has asked the airport to investigate this incident urgently and to ensure that the security officer in question is suitably punished.
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI commented: “It is shocking to hear about the anti-Israel abuse suffered by Mr Penzel at Luton Airport, and the fact that the security officer felt that he could harangue an Israeli traveller with his inappropriate, ill informed and antisemitic views. We hope that Luton Airport will take urgent action to investigate this incident and to ensure that nothing similar happens in the future.”