A Royal Jordanian pilot is facing criticism after video footage from one of the airline’s flights appeared to capture him using the aircraft’s public-address system to make political remarks about Israel while flying over the region.

The recording, which has spread widely across social media, shows the pilot addressing passengers in both Arabic and English as the aircraft traveled above Israel. During the announcement, he stated: “Distinguished Royal Jordanian passengers, we wish to notify you that we are flying over Palestinian lands. Anyone who misses Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine, can see it at this moment from the left window. You can see al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, in gold, and the Haram al-Sharif. The plane will pass over the city of Bethlehem.”

The incident prompted a sharp response from Noam Party Chairman MK Avi Maoz, who sent an urgent letter to Civil Aviation Authority Director Shmuel Zakai. In the letter, Maoz characterized the announcement as a serious abuse of a civilian flight for political purposes and called for immediate intervention.

Maoz urged Israeli authorities to demand a formal clarification and apology from Royal Jordanian regarding the pilot’s comments.

The lawmaker further requested that regulators examine possible sanctions against the airline, including barring it from Israeli airspace and pursuing other administrative measures. In his letter, Maoz wrote: “The use of Israel’s airspace to spread messages that deny the state’s sovereignty and identity can not go ignored.”

Although Royal Jordanian suspended its direct service between Tel Aviv and Amman following the outbreak of the Gaza war, the carrier’s aircraft continue to routinely traverse Israeli airspace on flights traveling to and from destinations in Europe and North America.

{Matzav.com}