Bill de Blasio. Photo: Wikipedia.

The Anti-Defamation League praised New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s probe of Saudi Arabian Airlines’ anti-Israeli policy of not allowing Israelis to fly the airline.

In an email to The Algemeiner on Monday night, the ADL wrote: “We applaud Bill De Blasio’s campaign to highlight Saudi Arabian Airlines six-decades of discrimination against Israeli passport holders.

“Saudi Arabia, along with numerous other Arab countries, have refused entry to people traveling on Israeli passports since 1948. As many travelers know, many of these countries will not allow entry even to individuals who have an entry stamp from Israel in their passport.

“Mr. De Blasio is attacking this old prejudice with a new approach, and seeking to change Saudi Arabian Airline’s policies through U.S. anti-discrimination statutes.”

De Blasio announced Monday that a probe by his office uncovered discriminatory practices by the airline at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, in violation of both state and federal law. A letter from De Blasio to the airline demanded an end to the practice and threatened action to have the airline excluded from the U.S. market.

JFK Airport and the Israeli Consulate in New York did not respond to The Algemeiner’s requests for comment. Saudi officials and Saudi Arabian Airlines representatives could not be reached.