السياسة الجديدة – القديمة لجهاز الشاباك: في المطارات، كل عربي هو إرهابي – باستثناء المواطنين الأمريكيين
המדיניות המעודכנת של השב”כ: בנמל התעופה, כל ערבי הוא מחבל – אלא אם הוא אזרח אמריקאי
For several years, Israel has attempted to join the US visa waiver program, which offers visa-free entry to the US for specified countries. There are several conditions for acceptance into the program, none of which Israel met. For the past two years, it has attempted to meet the requirements with partial success. US human rights groups, members of Congress and Palestinians, have protested the prospect of Israeli participation, because of its flagrant violations of human rights of Palestinian and Muslim-American travelers. In fact, the US has warned Israel that the increasing violence it perpetrates against Palestinians could endanger its candidacy for the program.
450,000 Israelis travel to the US each year for tourism and business purposes. Entering the program would be a political feather in Bibi Netanyahu’s cap. As he faces unprecedented mass opposition to his government’s judicial coup, he’s in desperate need of victories like this one. He even told his Shin Bet chief to lighten up. A well-informed Israeli security source told me:
Muslim-American Instagram post showing United Airlines gate attendant berating him
Bibi told Ronen Bar that entering the Visa waiver program is top priority, and Bar promised to end the decades-old policy known unofficially in as: “בנמל התעופה, כל ערבי הוא מחבל”. [“at the airport, every Arab is a terrorist”]
The intelligence agency is notorious for its treatment of Palestinian-American travelers and anyone flagged by the security services for supporting BDS. Visiting staff of human rights NGOs and pro-BDS travelers are banned outright. In some cases, African-Americans as well face similar treatment. When the Alvin Ailey Dance company traveled to Israel, the security agent refused to believe a male member was part of the troupe and made him dance to prove it. Yes, he made a Black man dance. I suppose we should call it Dancing While Black. If that doesn’t evoke traditional racist stereotypes, nothing will.
Security checks can take hours and involve ransacking luggage, demanding electronic device passwords and reviewing and even copying data from them; stripping travelers naked for full-body searches; women are strip-searched with male agents in the room; hours of repeated questions, some of which demand highly personal information. Shin Bet security agents often refuse to permit these individuals to board planes; or forbid them from taking their luggage and devices (see below); or detain them so long that they miss their flights entirely. El Al is the worst offender since it is an Israeli carrier. But all airlines flying to or from Israel must agree to similar treatment of such passengers.
Last month, Israel signed a memorandum of understanding in which it declared that US citizens who enter Israel, whom it had previously subjected to invasive security procedures, will no longer be treated this way. It even promised that those who travel through Israel to Gaza will be permitted entry at Ben Gurion airport and at border crossing into Gaza. The security source told me:
Bar instructed Shabak’s air security personnel in Israel and abroad to change the policy to this unofficial definition:
“בנמל התעופה, כל ערבי הוא מחבל – אלא אם הוא אזרח אמריקאי” [at the airport, every Arab is a terrorist…except those who are American citizens”]
Noor Wazwaz, Palestinian-Ameircan journalist outside the White House, harassed by Israeli security agents
Such slogans clearly display the cynicism of the Israeli security apparatus. They should also send up red flags about its sincerity in adhering to the new standards. Israel is notorious for trumpeting with great fanfare its agreement to treaties, protocols, or other types of agreements, which it proceeds to abrogate when convenient.
An example is the case of @nfwazwaz (Noor Wazwaz), a Palestinian-American journalist. She was ticketed for an El Al flight last month. After endless hours of security interviews, searches, intrusive questions about her personal life, not to mention lies from her interrogators, she was ultimately denied as a “security risk”. She chronicles her ordeal in this Twitter thread:
The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) tweeted that it has filed a discrimination complaint on Noor’s behalf:
We have filed a complaint on behalf of Noor, a U.S. citizen, who was denied boarding on an El Al Israel flight to Ben Gurion Airport on July 18, 2023. Ms. Wazwaz faced serious discrimination and harassment by agents working for El Al Airlines and Israel, with the cooperation of… https://t.co/92ParM1cFb
I consulted an Israeli security source about Noor’s experience. He conceded it was unfortunate, and that the Shin Bet “has learned from the experience.” That remains to be seen. He added that the new protocol to which Israel had agreed had not yet been in force. Presumably, the domestic intelligence agency would have stopped its former harassment of such travelers. But apparently, that’s not the case.
Despite signing the MOU mentioned above, apparently some in the Shin Bet didn’t get the memo. Take American-Muslim, @wayoflifesq, who traveled to Israel-Palestine to make a pilgrimage to Al Aqsa and other sites. On his return a few days ago, Shin Bet security agents at Ben Gurion engaged in the same behavior which had supposedly ended with last month’s agreement. He was strip searched by them and the security procedures lasted so long that he was late for his flight. The United Airlines Israeli gate attendant berated him for delaying the flight “for 300 passengers.” He responds with indignation blaming the security authorities for causing the problem. On the video, as he enters the plane he apologized to the passengers and then complains vociferously about the strip search:
Other Muslims on Twitter called him a poseur who was performing for the camera in order to magnify his social media following. He has 335,000 followers on Instagram. They noted he bragged about getting an Israeli Border police officer to recite Quran. Anyone who knows how Israeli police treat Al Aqsa and its worshippers would never brag about something like this. They would, in fact, cringe:
The fellow who posted this on instagram, normalizes apartheid, occupier, genocidal entity, israel.#BDS#FreePalestine🇵🇸
I confirm. This is common practice for Muslim visitors, Arab visitors, Palestinians, and aid workers and human rights defenders who work in Palestine. Israeli authorities do everything for you to be sooo disgusted that you will not come back. Too bad for them: we do come back…
Regardless of whether he’s a showboat, he was undoubtedly harassed and abused during his flight departure process. And the Shin Bet has once again acted in contradiction to its own claims. Apparently, as the saying goes: you can’t teach this old dog new tricks.
Given such behavior, the Biden administration should refuse to permit Israel to join the visa waiver program. The incident above shows the Shin Bet will ignore agreements Israel makes. Security trumps bilateral agreements with foreign governments. If the US admits Israel, it will have no leverage when US citizens complain of ill-treatment. The only recourse would be cancelling Israeli participation. Doing so would raise a furor with the Israel Lobby and any administration would be loath to confront it given the political price it would pay in doing so.
No doubt, Biden wants such an agreement because it would help him retain the Jewish vote and the donations of pro-Israel donors. In the process, he will be selling out Palestinian-Americans and their human rights.
Further, Israel will not change its policy of harassment of citizens of Palestinian origin from other countries. For them, it will be: “at airports, they are all terrorists.”
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12 thoughts on “Shin Bet Security Chief: “At Our Airports, Every Arab is a Terrorist” – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم”
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I got strip searched at BGA.
It was an ordeal, but I drank a stiff Rob Roy and got over it.
@ Q: Sorry but women don’t “get over it” when a complete stranger forces them not only to disrobe but touches them as well. That’s sexual abuse. Not security. Not to mention that Palestinian women have posted that male Shin Bet agents were in the room during the strip search. So no, ppl don’t get over it with a drink or without one.
Israel is Gaslighting themselves and the world into believing that they are special, and that they deserve special treatment.
Google the word Gaslighting and Israel or Jew or Christian or Muslim or Religion, etcetera, and read all about.
Israel is going to get away with what they can for as long as they can, until they destroy themselves, then they will blame the world for their troubles, and do it all over again somewhere else.
@ Steve Benassi: Even though you’re using the term “Chosen” targeting Israelis, I’m uncomfortable because this term is exploited as a major attack against Jews by anti-Semites, neo-Nazis, etc. Not to mention that their misunderstanding of the term as understood by Jews is a complete distortion. Being a “chosen” people does not denigrate non-Jews in any way. It’s just saying that Jews have a special role to play in the world. And much of Jewish history has proven that we have huge contributions to make to it. We are not better than anyone. At least that’s the way I as a Jew see it. There may be ultra Orthodox Jews who believe differently. BUt they are a decided minority in the overall global Jewish community.
And that’s the Rub, no one can say anything about Israel or Jews, unless they Genuflect while they are saying it. We are all anti-semites now, until proven otherwise.
Israel can destroy the world if we don’t stop them, and if by saying so makes me an anti-semite in some people’s eyes, so be it, I know I am not.
Please do not confliate Jews and Israel. Not only are they different, it is a mistake to claim something applicable to one is applicable to the other. I am fine with you using the term “Chosen” regarding Israel, because those who govern the country, namely the settlers and their political allies, do believe that they are the Chosen. But no Diaspora Jews believe they are “Chosen,” as I said in my comment. Those that do are largely ultra-Orthodox. As I said, a distinct minority in the Diaspora.
I don’t think Noor was strip-searched, must less sexually abused. She would have said as much. She was very talkative and descriptive during her troubles at the airport. I hasten to note that Noor doesn’t say a male was present when she was patted down.
BTW, her clothes were borrowed in order to be chemically tested for explosives.
@john She did say it. Read her whole thread before you make false claims. And strip searches of women are demeaning and constitute sexual abuse.
Nor did I say a male was present during her stripe search. I said there are other incidents with other Palestinian women where a male shin bet agent was present.
As for an explosives test, there was no reason to test her clothes. They knew she was no security threat. Not to mention that they told her they detected explosives, which was an outright lie.
I read everything very carefully, and here is the extent of Noor’s alleged demeaning strip search and your claim of sexual abuse.
Noor said: “I was taken into a room for extensive screening. This was run by the Israelis. Took off half my clothes, socks, shoes. Was THOROUGHLY patted down. Head to toe. They swabbed my clothes, my bag, shoes, socks, literally everything. ”
Every year hundreds, if not thousands of flyers are routinely, temporarily detained for security reasons on flights arriving to and departing from Israel. Noor is not exceptional.
@ John: Forcing a woman to disrobe is what I would consider a strip search. It would have exposed parts of her body to a stranger. Forcing someone to disrobe agaainst their will is physical, emotional and sexual abuse. It was demeaning and deliberately so. The Shin Bet knew this woman was not a security threat. Yet they put her through a degrading process on purpose because that’s just what they do.
If ‘thousands of flyers’ are subject to needless degradation of this sort, that means that Noor and all of them are deliberately abused. Which reflects the horror show that Israel is for its Palestinian citizens and those under illegal occupation, not to mention the US citzens it treats the same way. The fact that “Noor is not exceptional” is not something to be proud of. Nor does it mitigate the awfulness of this treatment. If you have no problem with US citizens being treated by a foreign security service as terrorists, well, I do. And most other Americans would as well.
You have had your quota of comments in this thread. In future threads you may choose to post to, limit yourself to a single comment.
According to 8 U.S. Code § 1182 – Inadmissible aliens (a)(3)(E)(ii) (Participation in genocide), no Zionist colonial settler is admissible to the USA. There is no administrative discretion in this admissibility because genocide according to this statute is defined in 18 U.S. Code § 1091, which is interpreted by a US federal court and not by an administrative agency. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182#a_3_E_ii
[The above link should go directly to the critical part of the statute’s text. Unfortunately, formatting is not preserved below.]
8 U.S. Code § 1182 – Inadmissible aliens (a)(3)(E)(ii) (Participation in genocide)
(E) Participants in Nazi persecution, genocide, or the commission of any act of torture or extrajudicial killing
(i) Participation in Nazi persecutions
Any alien who, during the period beginning on March 23, 1933, and ending on May 8, 1945, under the direction of, or in association with—
(I) the Nazi government of Germany,
(II) any government in any area occupied by the military forces of the Nazi government of Germany,
(III) any government established with the assistance or cooperation of the Nazi government of Germany, or
(IV) any government which was an ally of the Nazi government of Germany,
ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person because of race, religion, national origin, or political opinion is inadmissible.
(ii) Participation in genocide
Any alien who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide, as defined in section 1091(a) of title 18, is inadmissible.
(iii) Commission of acts of torture or extrajudicial killings
Any alien who, outside the United States, has committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the commission of—
(I) any act of torture, as defined in section 2340 of title 18; or
(II) under color of law of any foreign nation, any extrajudicial killing, as defined in section 3(a) of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 (28 U.S.C. 1350 note),
is inadmissible.
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I got strip searched at BGA.
It was an ordeal, but I drank a stiff Rob Roy and got over it.
@ Q: Sorry but women don’t “get over it” when a complete stranger forces them not only to disrobe but touches them as well. That’s sexual abuse. Not security. Not to mention that Palestinian women have posted that male Shin Bet agents were in the room during the strip search. So no, ppl don’t get over it with a drink or without one.
Israel is Gaslighting themselves and the world into believing that they are special, and that they deserve special treatment.
Google the word Gaslighting and Israel or Jew or Christian or Muslim or Religion, etcetera, and read all about.
Israel is going to get away with what they can for as long as they can, until they destroy themselves, then they will blame the world for their troubles, and do it all over again somewhere else.
They are Chosen, and they believe it.
@ Steve Benassi: Even though you’re using the term “Chosen” targeting Israelis, I’m uncomfortable because this term is exploited as a major attack against Jews by anti-Semites, neo-Nazis, etc. Not to mention that their misunderstanding of the term as understood by Jews is a complete distortion. Being a “chosen” people does not denigrate non-Jews in any way. It’s just saying that Jews have a special role to play in the world. And much of Jewish history has proven that we have huge contributions to make to it. We are not better than anyone. At least that’s the way I as a Jew see it. There may be ultra Orthodox Jews who believe differently. BUt they are a decided minority in the overall global Jewish community.
And that’s the Rub, no one can say anything about Israel or Jews, unless they Genuflect while they are saying it. We are all anti-semites now, until proven otherwise.
Israel can destroy the world if we don’t stop them, and if by saying so makes me an anti-semite in some people’s eyes, so be it, I know I am not.
@Steve:
Please do not confliate Jews and Israel. Not only are they different, it is a mistake to claim something applicable to one is applicable to the other. I am fine with you using the term “Chosen” regarding Israel, because those who govern the country, namely the settlers and their political allies, do believe that they are the Chosen. But no Diaspora Jews believe they are “Chosen,” as I said in my comment. Those that do are largely ultra-Orthodox. As I said, a distinct minority in the Diaspora.
I don’t think Noor was strip-searched, must less sexually abused. She would have said as much. She was very talkative and descriptive during her troubles at the airport. I hasten to note that Noor doesn’t say a male was present when she was patted down.
BTW, her clothes were borrowed in order to be chemically tested for explosives.
Why did you link David Lange? You don’t like him.
@john She did say it. Read her whole thread before you make false claims. And strip searches of women are demeaning and constitute sexual abuse.
Nor did I say a male was present during her stripe search. I said there are other incidents with other Palestinian women where a male shin bet agent was present.
As for an explosives test, there was no reason to test her clothes. They knew she was no security threat. Not to mention that they told her they detected explosives, which was an outright lie.
You’re defending the indefensible.
I read everything very carefully, and here is the extent of Noor’s alleged demeaning strip search and your claim of sexual abuse.
Noor said: “I was taken into a room for extensive screening. This was run by the Israelis. Took off half my clothes, socks, shoes. Was THOROUGHLY patted down. Head to toe. They swabbed my clothes, my bag, shoes, socks, literally everything. ”
Every year hundreds, if not thousands of flyers are routinely, temporarily detained for security reasons on flights arriving to and departing from Israel. Noor is not exceptional.
@ John: Forcing a woman to disrobe is what I would consider a strip search. It would have exposed parts of her body to a stranger. Forcing someone to disrobe agaainst their will is physical, emotional and sexual abuse. It was demeaning and deliberately so. The Shin Bet knew this woman was not a security threat. Yet they put her through a degrading process on purpose because that’s just what they do.
If ‘thousands of flyers’ are subject to needless degradation of this sort, that means that Noor and all of them are deliberately abused. Which reflects the horror show that Israel is for its Palestinian citizens and those under illegal occupation, not to mention the US citzens it treats the same way. The fact that “Noor is not exceptional” is not something to be proud of. Nor does it mitigate the awfulness of this treatment. If you have no problem with US citizens being treated by a foreign security service as terrorists, well, I do. And most other Americans would as well.
You have had your quota of comments in this thread. In future threads you may choose to post to, limit yourself to a single comment.
According to 8 U.S. Code § 1182 – Inadmissible aliens (a)(3)(E)(ii) (Participation in genocide), no Zionist colonial settler is admissible to the USA. There is no administrative discretion in this admissibility because genocide according to this statute is defined in 18 U.S. Code § 1091, which is interpreted by a US federal court and not by an administrative agency.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1182#a_3_E_ii
[The above link should go directly to the critical part of the statute’s text. Unfortunately, formatting is not preserved below.]
8 U.S. Code § 1182 – Inadmissible aliens (a)(3)(E)(ii) (Participation in genocide)
(E) Participants in Nazi persecution, genocide, or the commission of any act of torture or extrajudicial killing
(i) Participation in Nazi persecutions
Any alien who, during the period beginning on March 23, 1933, and ending on May 8, 1945, under the direction of, or in association with—
(I) the Nazi government of Germany,
(II) any government in any area occupied by the military forces of the Nazi government of Germany,
(III) any government established with the assistance or cooperation of the Nazi government of Germany, or
(IV) any government which was an ally of the Nazi government of Germany,
ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person because of race, religion, national origin, or political opinion is inadmissible.
(ii) Participation in genocide
Any alien who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide, as defined in section 1091(a) of title 18, is inadmissible.
(iii) Commission of acts of torture or extrajudicial killings
Any alien who, outside the United States, has committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the commission of—
(I) any act of torture, as defined in section 2340 of title 18; or
(II) under color of law of any foreign nation, any extrajudicial killing, as defined in section 3(a) of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 (28 U.S.C. 1350 note),
is inadmissible.
[comment deleted: I do not permit handles that include expletives. You are banned.]