Letter to Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation - Penalize Airlines That Violate American Law and Discriminate Against Israeli Citizens

Letter

Dear Secretary Foxx:

I am respectfully writing today to bring your attention to an important civil rights matter affecting international air travel originating out of the United States. There are a number of airlines--including Kuwait Airways--that do not permit Israeli nationals living in the United States board flights to locations where these individuals have permission to travel. For instance, Mr. Eldad Gatt, a citizen of the State of Israel, tried to fly on November 14, 2013 from New York's John F. Kennedy airport, to London's Heathrow airport on Kuwait Airways. Kuwait Airways did not permit Mr. Gatt to book this flight because it does not accept passports issued by Israel as valid travel documents.

As you know, there is a very clear statute--49 USC § 40127--that prohibits discrimination by all air carriers on the basis of national origin. Specifically it says "an air carrier or foreign air carrier may not subject a person in air transportation to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry."

I believe the Department of Transportation must require any airline to take any person from America on any flight where they have a legal means (i.e. a visa or some other status) to enter that country. If an airline refuses, that is discrimination, and should be fined and enjoined under our laws. Discrimination should not be permitted by any air carrier who seeks to collect revenues from American passengers.

I urge you to take action to resolve this issue of discrimination and I look forward to discussing this matter with you at your earliest convenience.

Source