C’mon. Even security requires proportionality & common sense. You react to ea. situation as context demands. Clearly, this situation posed no security threat whatsoever. To treat Jackson as if he might be a Hamas bomber was ludicrous just because of a Muslim name. Only the militant pro-Israel crowd can’t acknowledge this because Israel never makes a mistake.

I value all the important information you’ve conveyed about Israeli security procedures and the lawsuit you’ve described.

But again, you’ve missed some key elements of this incident: Jackson was a member of a large dance troupe entering Israel at Ben Gurion. The security personnel had the names of every member of the traveling group in the passenger manifest along with documentation from the Alvin Ailey Company itself of who was in their group. Agents could check off the names against the passports the travelers carry.

that would mean several hours, at least, waiting in that isolation room (making phone calls, checking with Israelis who invited them

The Israeli concert producer was there in person at the airport and is quoted in one of the linked articles above as confirming the humilitation Jackson suffered. The producer witnessed it himself & tried to extricate Jackson as best he could. He too could’ve authenticated Jackson’s identity if the agent’s had trusted him. So you’re dead wrong in claiming they would’ve had to isolate Jackson for hours in order to verify his claim to be who he is.

I’m not claiming there aren’t legitimate security concerns at Ben Gurion. I AM claiming there are humane ways of implementing security procedures while still performing the job at hand, and Israeli security agents are woefully inadequate in that regard.

Now to the main issue here. This event highlights the delicate job of Israeli security personnel at border crossings, who must balance legitimate security needs of a sovereign country and the individual rights of foreigners who wish to enter that country.

As a lawyer who litigated cases and, several times, successfully overturned the Israeli security establishment (a.k.a. Shin Bet) decision to deny entrance to peaceful human rights workers or pro-Palestinian journalists, I am knowledgable of the relevant Israeli law and policies. (I also successfully sued the Ben Gurion Airport authorities on behalf of an Israeli leftwing activist who was abused by Israeli security personnel at a foreign airport.) While Israeli courts are willing to assume judicial oversight over the question of denial of entrance (though employing the questionable “secret evidence” method), they have never agreed to intervene regarding the particular kind of questioning or verification procedures that the security services employ at airports.

Currently, there is petition before the High Court of Justice, filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, attacking the “racial profiling” employed by Israeli security authorities. This petition has been going on for almost two years, and there is no sign it will be resolved in the near future. The State Attorney, in its response, has argued that security needs dictate its policies, and that the exact nature of these policies is secret. They have agreed to show the judges their policies in camera (again, the “secret evidence” methodology). But, let’s remember, this petition argues only on behalf of Israeli Arabs or Palestinian residents, who are claiming that their civil rights are abused by “racial profiling.” Even this petiion (which will probably be denied) does not contend that foreigners have a right not to be racially profiled. And the argument is simple: You don’t like being singled out, or the kind of questions you’re asked, or the verification process you undergo – you don’t have to visit Israel. No one is forcing you to enter the country.

Having said that, Israeli authorities are not stupid. They realize the potential PR mess that abusive questioning can cause. After several publicized incidents, they have redrafted their policies, and as a general rule, they don’t allow abusive practices. In this case, the singling-out of Abdur-Rahim Jackson provides no issue at all. They had a perfectly legitimate right to do that, and US authorities do it all the time. The only questionable issue is how they chose to verify his claim that he is a professional dancer on a visit to perform in Israel. They probably could have done it in more appropriate ways than asking him to show a few dancing moves. But that would mean several hours, at least, waiting in that isolation room (making phone calls, checking with Israelis who invited them, etc.) Just because someone’s name appears on a dance company brochure doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. And coming with a group doesn’t prove conclusively that the person is really part of the group. If that were the case, terrorists would have a picnic: all they would need is a nice, fancy brochure from a local printshop, or to blend in with a group of musicians, members of a sports team, etc.

To summarize, I find no fault in Israeli security personnel wanting to verify his claims, although I do agree they could have found more respectable ways to corroborate his claims (which would probably have taken many more hours).