Comments on: Airport security and Arab citizens: change in sight?

By: Adam Navi

Adam Navi — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:27:47 +0000

Well I’m a US citizen (but look Arab, though Afghan in heritage) going to Haifa on business for the first time… as someone who’s tax dollars go to supporting the country I will be outraged if I get this treatment (though don’t mind reasonable security questions, checks and searches).

Reading this and other news I guess the lessons Israel learned from the Holocaust is how to treat Arabs as they become the role of the oppressors… they should be truly ashamed as it disrespects the memories of those who were murdered during Holocaust.

By: Freddy

Freddy — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:35:09 +0000

El Al, and Ben Gurion Airport, has a sterling and brilliant record of avoiding terrorist attacks. This is the cost.

On this planet, some people are more likely to be terrorists than others. In the planet of the imagination, we are all equal. Or all equally likely to be terrorists?

Naturally, the difficulties of going through security procedures are due to “Brutal inequality”. The pile of dead bodies from terrorist attacks has nothing to do with it.

I suppose some think that if Israelis are hectored enough for defending themselves, they will cave in and let more Israelis be killed. Don’t hold your breath.

By: richard Allen

richard Allen — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:01:01 +0000

Yes, Waleed, students who study in Amman go through quite easily, because they do it all the time, and they’re known to the border guards. Israel Arabs who don’t do it frequently do get detained for questioning just like Israeli Jews, though the Jordanians are probably nicer. When I was detained at the border for 2 hours, they brought me tea and cookies and cigarettes during the questioning! And I didn’t say that Queen Alia security will treat them badly, I simply said it’s a joke. They wave everybody through.

By: Waleed

Waleed — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:07:56 +0000

Richard Allen ,

The whole idea is to skip the airport security.Its not possible I am asking them to fly from Tel Aviv to Amman!!

Believe me , crossing the border is much much less humiliating than the airport.Palestinian students do it all the time ,usually no problems.
Regarding Queen Ali airport security I diagree with you ,at least they wont treat them as bad as the Israelis.

By: Dahlia Scheindlin

Dahlia Scheindlin — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:07:49 +0000

Veronica – i had to hold back from writing a whole section in this post about foreigners too. But i felt there needed to be a whole post just about our own citizens. You’re absolutely right, what’s done to foreigners is a disaster for many reasons. We can all appreciate the need for security but I feel that the damage has far outweighed the benefits of these practices. with Israel’s hugely sophisticated security establishment, i’m sure we could find a more appropriate approach.

By: veronica

veronica — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:52:36 +0000

Hi,
I’m Italian and catholic, I’m often and for long periods in Israel beacuse of my work. I can assure you that discrimination in Ben Gurion doesn’t hit only arab people. Last time I had to leave Israel, the security staff questioned me almost 2 hours, asked me to take off my clothes, checked my computer, and finally told me that I was not allowed to carry it with me on the plane. I’m a journalist, my computer is so important to me. When I asked for an explaination – “Why everybody can carry his computer except of me?” – the only answer I got was: “Security issue. If you don’t want to check-in it, please leave the airport”.

By: richard Allen

richard Allen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:18:48 +0000

Dahlia, something additionally gross and shocking about Israeli airport security: An Arab Christian friend was looking for an apartment, and went to look at a place that needed a third roommate. I guess his first name and accent weren’t Arabic enough, because the girls who lived there decided to take him, until they realised that he was an Arab, and apologised profusely, but explained that because one of them worked for airport security, she could not have an Arab roommate. It’s a rule. So either all Arabs in the entire country are considered possible security and intelligence threats, or the very fact of knowing and living with Arabs may humanize them enough that you will do your job less efficiently, by seeing people as opposed to potential terrorists.

By: Richard Allen

Richard Allen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:32:22 +0000

Waleed, in order to travel via Queen Alia, one would have to fly from Tel Aviv to Jordan, which would still require Ben Gurion security checks, or cross at a land border, and trust me, Arab citizens of Israel face the same scrutiny at the land borders into Jordan that Jewish citizens do. I’ve seen it. While Queen Alia’s security is an absolute joke, the border guards treat all Israeli passport holders as potential threats, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.

By: Waleed

Waleed — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:17:01 +0000

That is Israel .What to expect from a mentality that murder and terrorize people to steal their land.I do advise them to take their flights from Jordan .Instead of losing hours soaked with humiliation and hatred , spend two hours with a comfortable journey to Amman heading to Queen Alia Airport.