Kuwait Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines have a “no Israelis” rule. That’s right — citizens of the Jewish state are not allowed to fly on these airlines , even if they just want to buy tickets on connecting flights between countries that welcome Israeli passports.

The Lawfare project Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) unlawfully discriminates against Israeli nationals by refusing to recognize their passports or fly them on any of their flights on routes around the world.

After alerting the U.S. Department of Transportation of KAC’s discriminatory behavior in 2017, The Lawfare Project took steps to force the airline to choose between complying with federal and international law or facing the termination of its lease at JFK International Airport. KAC canceled their JFK-London route resulting in millions of dollars of pecuniary loss.

The Lawfare Project simultaneously brought suit against KAC in Switzerland, which resulted in KAC shutting down all of its inter-European flights. We are now litigating in Frankfurt to force KAC to comply with German anti-discrimination law on its flights to non-Arab League destinations with transfers in Kuwait.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) also engages in unlawful discrimination against Israeli nationals. The Lawfare Project notified the U.S. Department of Commerce about Saudia’s participation in the illegal Arab League boycott, an anti-Semitic campaign that singles out the world’s only Jewish state, urging swift action to prevent the airline, along with KAC, from operating in and economically benefiting from the United States while brazenly flouting our nation’s laws.

The Lawfare Project will continue to pursue legal efforts around the world against KAC and Saudia until they end their discriminatory policies.

Their anti-Semitism is so strong that they would rather cancel prominent flight routes and lose millions of dollars than allow Israelis to fly on their reportedly decrepit planes. Yet who do they run to protect them from the Iranian threat? Why, Israel, of course.

The Lawfare Project, a Jewish civil rights group, has been actively fighting Kuwait’s discrimination in the U.S., Switzerland, and throughout the EU. As a result of our work, Kuwait Airways was forced to cancel its New York – London flight and shut down its entire inter-European route network.

This all goes back to the Arab League Boycott, which is based on classic anti-Semitism. The boycott was intended to isolate Israel and prevent the fledgling Jewish state from reaching its full economic potential. It failed, and nearly all countries and companies in the Arab world have moved on and ended their participation, either formally or practically. These two airlines, however, are still living in 1973 – and we’re not just talking about their aircraft.

Refusing to fly Israelis is more than just a stupid business decision – it’s illegal. Specifically, the Airline Deregulation Act prohibits foreign air carriers from engaging in unreasonable discrimination, and U.S. federal anti-boycott law forbids refusals to do business with Israelis in furtherance of the Arab League boycott.