UK-based Virgin Atlantic Airlines decided to steer clear of controversy after one tweet disputing their name choice for a salad.

On December 23 Dani Williams, airline customer, went to social media to voice his discontent regarding a dish in the in-flight menu. He posted an image of the menu with the Palestinian couscous salad with the caption “Virgin Atlantic, this is the menu I received yesterday nothing like some BDS and delusionment with your salad, last time you get my money #TerroristSympathisers.”

The tweet had not gained any traction until Virgin Airlines changed their salad name. The few comments on the tweet came after The Electronic Intifada Website released an article where they contacted Virgin Airlines for an explanation for why they removed the word “Palestinian” from the description in their menu.

“Our salad is made using a mix of maftoul (traditional Palestinian couscous) and couscous, which is complemented by tomatoes and cucumber which really helps lift the salad from a visual perspective and is seasoned with a parsley, mint and lemon vinaigrette,” the spokesperson told the Electronic Intifada website.

“However, we always want to do the right thing for our customers and as a result of feedback, we have renamed this menu item from our food offering at the end of last year and we’re extremely sorry for any offense caused.”

While it is commonplace for eastern-dishes including falafel, hummus, knafeh, tabouli, stuffed grape leaves, chicken fried in zaatar and cucumber salad to get the misnomer “Israeli” food, the rightful attribution of a dish to Palestine was retracted.

As Israelis appropriate dishes, pro-Israeli tweets have the power to exert enough pressure with a single tweet to make an airline change their menu. Virgin Airlines allowed itself to be bullied into changing their menu succumbing to smear tactics that call them the vague slander of “terrorist sympathiser”.