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Higher Arab Monitoring Committee Chairman Shuweiki Hatib. (Archives)
Last update - 19:15 04/12/2006
Report: Arab citizens viewed as 'security threats' at airports
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent

Arab citizens experience institutionalized discrimination in Israeli airports and from Israeli airports abroad, according to a special report released Monday by the Arab Association for Human Rights and the Center for the Struggle Against Racism.

The report includes several testimonies from Arab citizens who underwent what they called degrading treatment, and who, the report claims, "do not represent a security threat whatsoever to other passengers, and who were never suspected of security violations."

Bachar Ouda, chairman of the Center for the Struggle Against Racism, said that in one instance a young Arab woman was forced to undress for a security check in a room in which male security guards were present.

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The report also includes the testimony of Fairouz Nasrallah, a resident of a village in the north, who said that her last name - also that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah - prevented her from passing the security check with the other passengers.

"The female security guard led me behind a curtain and told me to remove my clothing," she said.

"I refused, and finally she passed a scanning device over my body without my consent. During the search, one of the security guards took a musical toy from my luggage, turned it on, spoke to me disparagingly, and made sarcastic comments to his friends. He also asked me what is inside of the toy. Later, at home, I realized it was broken," she said.

She added that her hearing device had also been damaged during the search.

According to the report, security personnel behaved in a discriminating manner as soon as it became apparent that they were dealing with Arab citizens, whether by the latter's appearance, accent, residence or name.

Several people claimed they received consistently discriminatory treatment at Ben-Gurion Airport from the moment they arrived until they boarded their flight.

"We are not against the security check, but against discriminatory principles," said Mohammed Zidan, chairman of the Arab Association for Human Rights.

"We are against security checks with two parameters - one for Jews and another for Arabs," he said.

Zidan said the report was passed to State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss and to all relevant government offices, including the Prime Minister's Office and the Airports Authority.

Zidan added that his organization has no intention of removing the issue from its agenda, as a reminder "that Arab citizens also have economic power and it is not unthinkable that we will consider a campaign for a boycott against Israeli airlines if there is no change in this discrimination."

Shuweiki Hatib, chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, called on all relevant officials - including Airports Authority Director-General Gabi Ofir - to work towards a change in policy.

"We know that we're not talking about specific decisions of this or that security guard, but about a rather clear policy," Hatib said.

"I expect Ofir and others to take steps that would bring about change. The Jewish public establishment see Arabs as a problem which needs to be addressed, and not as citizens with equal rights, and this is the root of the problem," he said.

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  1.   Not Surprising 18:23  |  Daniel 04/12/06
  2.   there has never been an arab terrorist 18:24  |  pete 04/12/06
  3.   As well they should be... 18:28  |  bat yam 04/12/06
  4.   What Do you know peter 18:34  |  Daniel 04/12/06
  5.   Daniel....tut, tut, tut 18:39  |  Tim 04/12/06
  6.   secyrity threat at ALL airports 18:46  |  rolfkitty 04/12/06
  7.   Tim 18:46  |  Daniel 04/12/06
  8.   Allen Keys had it right! 18:47  |  zoog 04/12/06
  9.   Don`t complain to us. Complain to your Arab terrorist brothers. 18:48  |  Dan 04/12/06
  10.   Tim...Tut, Tut, Tut, 18:52  |  Dan 04/12/06
  11.   Arabs & profiling 18:56  |  j 04/12/06
  12.   Not All Muslims Are Terrorists But ...... 18:57  |  Terry 04/12/06
  13.   Arab citizens viewed as `security threats` at airports 18:57  |  Jerusalemite 04/12/06
  14.   Daniel..how did you not know? 19:00  |  Tim 04/12/06
  15.   jerusalmite 19:05  |  Daniel 04/12/06
  16.   Dan...your backpedling is admirable but futile 19:06  |  Tim 04/12/06
  17.   Are any jews get to fly on arabs flights? 19:10  |  Stright to the point 04/12/06
  18.   Tim 19:16  |  Daniel 04/12/06
  19.   arabs and airport security 19:24  |  michael burke 04/12/06
  20.   SEcurity checks 19:29  |  DAvid 04/12/06
  21.   Does Alice Plmert,Machsom Watch front figure travels on the same 19:31  |  Absolute Sweden 04/12/06
  22.   Tim 19:32  |  Omar 04/12/06
  23.   In the face of such overwhelming hatred.... 19:33  |  Kate 04/12/06
  24.   why, shouldn`t they? They have brought it upon themselves by 19:39  |  Yair 04/12/06
  25.   Toronto Tim Toom visiting Israel in a Talkback cyberspace :-( 19:41  |  zayin ba ayin 04/12/06
  26.   only the ignorant turn a blind eye to potential danger! 19:48  |  Avi 04/12/06
  27.   Flying to Israel 19:51  |  Boris 04/12/06
  28.   hey tim 19:53  |  vik 04/12/06
  29.   Arab citizens viewed as Security threats ... 19:54  |  Eugene Fischer 04/12/06
  30.   profiling Arabs for security 19:55  |  Wade 04/12/06
  31.   israeli arab terrorists 19:57  |  Israel Israeli 04/12/06
  32.   To No.17 19:59  |  Stella 04/12/06
  33.   This is a JOKE! 20:01  |  Liora Reznichenko 04/12/06
  34.   The Truth about the airports 20:22  |  Kate 04/12/06
  35.   airport screeners 20:22  |  Harry 04/12/06
  36.   ethnic profiling 20:33  |  rz 04/12/06
  37.   Tim and Daniel 20:35  |  rz 04/12/06
  38.   Profiling=Discrimanation?! 20:39  |  BenAbuzaglo 04/12/06
  39.   Responses "Rubbish". 20:50  |  King 04/12/06
  40.   Tim : Respect him but Suspect him 20:51  |  Giora Sadman 04/12/06
  41.   the harassment is more shameful than fighting 20:53  |  rivka 04/12/06
  42.   to Boris #27 20:56  |  rz 04/12/06
  43.   # 17 of course they do 21:09  |  Leb 04/12/06
  44.   Trashy israeli behavior 21:49  |  Danite 04/12/06
  45.   Jewish Terrorists 21:50  |  Wael 04/12/06
  46.   Listen Wael... 22:06  |  bat yam 04/12/06
  47.   How typical of Israel! 22:12  |  clickfool 04/12/06
  48.   BIASED 22:15  |  robert 04/12/06
  49.   why be surprised 22:22  |  robert 04/12/06
  50.   Clickfoot 22:24  |  dan 04/12/06
  51.   clickfool the hypocrite 22:29  |  danite 04/12/06
  52.   How typical of clickFOOL 22:32  |  Pat 04/12/06
  53.   clickfool 22:37  |  ari 04/12/06
  54.   Travel through Ben Gourion 22:47  |  Lebanese admirer 04/12/06
  55.   clikfool 22:52  |  charles 04/12/06
  56.   Where is it better 22:52  |  Morton 04/12/06
  57.   Tim....tut,tut,tut 22:53  |  Motale 04/12/06
  58.   It`s not only the Arabs 22:54  |  Sick of it 04/12/06
  59.   ITS THE REALITY WE LIVE IN 22:58  |  OSCAR 04/12/06
  60.   robert 23:14  |  charles 04/12/06
  61.   from Israeli airports abroad 23:14  |  nathan 04/12/06
  62.   Haaretz 23:24  |  danite 04/12/06
  63.   re:clickfool 00:13  |  josh 05/12/06
  64.   Arabs are not a terrorist threat! 00:20  |  Michael 05/12/06
  65.   danite 44 00:20  |  alan 05/12/06
  66.   #32 Stella, read again.....maybe next time i post u in arabic 00:45  |  stright to the point 05/12/06
  67.   To Danite 00:51  |  David James Vickery 05/12/06
  68.   Dear Mr. Bat Yam 00:56  |  David James Vickdery 05/12/06
  69.   Arab Israeli Collaborators 01:25  |  * BEN JABO 05/12/06
  70.   #41 Rivka - It`s a lack of trust 01:33  |  * BEN JABO 05/12/06
  71.   Along with the rest of the world.It only takes a few 01:35  |  PETER SM 05/12/06
  72.   #17 Click 01:38  |  * BEN JABO 05/12/06
  73.   CLICKFOOL 02:17  |  TOBIA 05/12/06
  74.   DEMOGRAPHY a big problem for Zionism. 02:53  |  Maureen Ann 05/12/06
  75.   SORRY WAEL 03:09  |  TOBIA 05/12/06
  76.   Clickfool: the New Scotland Yard already have you on their - 05:17  |  zayyin ba ayin 05/12/06
  77.   Thank you Rivka 06:28  |  Victor from Petaluma 05/12/06
  78.   Thank you Rivka 06:32  |  Victor from Petaluma