Delta issues apology over tweet about employees’ Palestinian pins

Delta Airlines issued an apology Thursday after a social media post from the airline said it would also be “terrified” in response to a user who said two flight attendants with Palestinian flag pins were wearing “Hamas badges.”

A user on the social platform X posted two images of Delta Airlines workers wearing Palestinian pin flags Tuesday, describing them as “Hamas badges” and referencing 9/11.

According to a screenshot of the since-deleted post, Delta’s account on X responded, “I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”

A Delta spokesperson told The Hill on Thursday the response was deleted “because it was not in line with our values and our mission to connect the world.”

“The team member responsible for the post has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels,” the spokesperson added. “We apologize for this error.”

The post drew online scrutiny, including from The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the United States’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, which called the airline’s post “racist” and an example of “anti-Palestinian racism” Wednesday.

CAIR said the since-deleted tweet was problematic because it agreed with “the false claim that a Palestinian flag pin won by a flight attendant was a ‘Hamas badge.'”

Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist group that rules Gaza, has its own flag, which is solid green with Arabic script in white in the center. The Palestinian flag shown being worn by the workers consists of a red triangle on the left side, next to horizontal stripes of black, white and green.

Delta will shift its pin allowance policy starting July 15, a company spokesperson told The Hill.

Beginning then, only U.S. flags will be permitted to be worn on uniforms,” the spokesperson said. “Previously, pins representing countries/nationalities of the world had been permitted.”

“We are proud of our diverse base of employees and customers and the foundation of our brand, which is to connect the world and provide a premium experience.  We are taking this step to help ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all,” they added.

The incident marks the latest example of tensions overflowing from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, where more than 38,000 people in Palestine have been killed since early October, when Hamas launched a surprise assault in Israel that killed about 1,200 people.

The death toll and humanitarian situation prompted protests beyond the Middle East, including on American college campuses, which led to the arrests of hundreds of student demonstrators.