140 'Israeli' passengers’ bags held back over ‘Free Palestine’ stickers

• ‘Free Palestine’ stickers force flight to depart without 140 'Israeli' passengers’ suitcases.

An afternoon flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv departed this week without 140 suitcases belonging to 'Israeli' passengers after “Free Palestine” stickers were discovered on the luggage, triggering security concerns and a nearly two-hour delay.

The flight, originally scheduled to leave at 2:00 p.m., was first delayed by 25 minutes before airline staff informed passengers of a more serious issue involving checked bags. The aircraft eventually departed at approximately 3:45 p.m.

Passengers described confusion and frustration as the delay stretched on. One traveler said, “It was a regular flight on a Monday afternoon from Los Angeles, full of Israelis who had gone to the All-Star to see Deni Avdija and were heading home. We checked our suitcases as usual and were supposed to take off at 2 p.m. At first, they said there would be a 25-minute delay, then they said there was a bigger delay because of an issue with luggage. Only around a quarter to four did we take off.”

According to airline officials, the affected bags were removed from the aircraft for individual security screening to ensure that no explosives or prohibited items were present. The discovery of the stickers prompted heightened precautions.

After thorough inspections, all luggage was cleared and eventually transported to Tel Aviv, though the delay caused significant disruption for passengers.