A train company in the UK has banned its staff from wearing badges supporting Palestine while on duty after a pro-Israel legal group raised complaints over an employee wearing a "Palestine Solidarity" badge.
Last month, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) sent a legal letter to London North Eastern Railway (LNER) after a passenger complained that a member of staff wearing a pro-Palestine badge made them feel "uncomfortable and unwelcome" during a train journey.
According to UKLFI, the incident took place on 14 June aboard an LNER service travelling from Edinburgh to London.
The organisation said the passenger, who is Jewish, reported that a member of staff serving food was wearing an official badge designed, produced and sold by the RMT specifically for its trade union members, which displayed the words "Palestine Solidarity" over a Palestinian flag and the logo of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
In its complaint, UKLFI argued that political symbols worn by customer-facing staff could create an "intimidating, hostile or offensive environment" for Jewish, Israeli and Zionist passengers.
