Barcelona gay leaders say humiliated at Israeli airport
Foreign Ministry slams airport security personnel for 'abusing' the pair of leaders, who were officially invited to participate in Tel Aviv's gay pride parade.
By Ilan Lior Tags: Tel AvivTwo leaders of Barcelona's gay community claim that they were subjected to a humiliating security check at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, while trying to leave the country after participating in last week's Tel Aviv gay pride parade.
The conduct of security at the airport has set off a firestorm with the Foreign Ministry, which had extended an official invitation to the pair to participate in Israel's gay pride activities.
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Dancers onboard a Lady Gaga-themed float at the annual Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade, June 10, 2011. |
| Photo by: Moti Kimche |
David Marti, the general manager for gay pride events in Barcelona, told Haaretz that airport security had stripped his boyfriend whom he was traveling with. The pair were asked a series of personal questions, which Marti said exceeded reasonable limits. The men's personal items were also thoroughly searched.
Marti said the pair was questioned for a long time, with their security check ending just minutes before their plane took off. Marti and his partner managed to make it to their flight at the last minute.
The positive impression that the pair had of Israel after their visit was erased by the security check, Marti said. He indicated that he understands Israel's need to carry out strict security checks, but he says that the person checking him his partner went overboard.
The gay community leaders came to Tel Aviv in a show of support after their counterparts in Madrid cancelled last year's visit because of the events surrounding Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
The pair informed the Israeli Embassy in Madrid about the incident. The embassy told the Foreign Ministry about the complaint, saying that the security check had damaged Israeli public relations efforts.
"Security personnel at the airport need to understand that they are the face of the State of Israel," a foreign ministry authority said about the incident. "They are the first and last thing that people who come to Israel see."
Speaking about Marti and his partner, the official called them "guests of the state" adding that "all of their details had been passed from the foreign ministry to the airport in advance."
"The security inspector severely harmed Israel's image," the official said.
The official explained that the ministry had invested thousands of dollars to bring these community leaders to Israel, who were "impressed by the country."
"The last thing that we do to them is abuse them and they say that they don't want to come back again," the official said.
The Israel Airports Authority said in response that they had not received any knowledge, as of the morning in question, of the incident occurring.
"Security personnel at Ben Gurion International Airport work day and night for the security of the passengers," the Airport Authority statement said, adding that the security personnel treat all passengers the same, regardless of their sexual orientation or beliefs.
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If it's true that the search was recorded, and the records confirm what has been said, these people should be fired at the very least. To white wash this is a bad bad mistake.
After my recent visits to the USA, Israeli security staff are the epitome of politeness. They seem to have the knack of perceiving who is a risk. I have visited Israel several times and have no complaints about Israel security staff. On the other hand, in the 'Land of the Free'.................!
When one has power he is most likely to abuse it... and it applies to airport security officials as well.
1. What was going through this inspector's mind? 2. Is there no coordination among the Israeli government bodies? 3. Heads should roll for this.
The security checks for leaving the country are run by young un experienced personnel that leave the tourists with "I`m never coming back here again" feeling and the worst part of this story is that no one cares and they excuse it as vital security checks.
If they were singled out for special attention, there had to be a reason. Airport security operates with a set of clearly defined rules. Then again maybe this is just a hoax. I have seen people at the airport be invited into a private room to be stripped searched. In order toget that invitation you had to have refused to answer a question to the satisfaction of the security people. remember people do carry explosives in their underwear and shoes. If they do not want to fly, they can choose not to answer any questions or be searched.
Im a spanish citizen that lived in Israel for some time. Everytime i went through the airport in Israel it was a nightmare. The inspectors always went too far with the questions and they used to leave me waiting always one hour in the "little house" despite having a visa and an israeli partner and despite all the times i flew through there. All my friends that came to visit me recieved the same treatment. I think israel should put more care in the way it treats its visitors. Its quite humiliating. Honestly, i know many people that said they wont come back to Israel just for the treatment recieved in the airport. I got to think that Israelis should get the same bad treatment in the spanish airports so they will maybe understand how it feels.
...I can agree with these two guys. ElAl security can be overzealous cretins with a little bit of authority who think that means a lot of power, and I am sick of having items in my luggage damaged during security checks with no accountability.
...then again, I think we can safely assume that Haaretz is selectively reporting the details as usual. There could well have been provocative action on the part of these guests, prompting the behaviour of the officers.
I know the feeling!!II am jewish from New Zealand .I had a horrible experience at Eilat and Ben Gurion Airports.Security in Israel is tight and I happy about that,However, when it comes to showing respect toward passengers, there is a failure.Security personnel is trained to detect passenger that could be a risk for security,I agree with that but I disagree when they use their power to humilliate passangers , at some point is obvious in the way they profile passengers, questioning them and it goes further and further(frisk search and stripping off).When I left Israel last November I promised to myself not to return anymore.Security staff dont respect the principles of respect and dignity of passenger,They act like a bunch of arrogant gang pretending to be terrorist's hunters!! BUT STILL I LOVE ISRAEL!!
Are generally nervy kids. Obviously the Airport Authority is going to stick up for them but the fact that this is a recurring theme every single year sounds like it's still broken.
because it's business as usual. Arabs get treated much worse. profiling is normal in that airport
Barcelona (part of Catalonia and they don't consider Spanish their native language) is not Madrid...did you even read the article? They came to show support even though Madrid boycotted last year. Israelis (especially here in the comment section) always do that. They find something wrong to kvetch about instead of just admitting that something in their country might suck. In the US, we always complain about our gov't, standards, people in general...why do the people who comment here always have to point the finger somewhere else when someone brings up an issue? It's so juvenile.
well, this is not surprising. this would be typical in such an environment, considering that he was about to miss his plane, what time did he have to make a complaint with?
"The positive impression that the pair had of Israel after their visit was erased by the security check, Marti said" - as if he's doing Israel a favour by liking it and now he's punishing Israel by withdrawing his "positive impression". Well, if you're going to let one idiot jobsworth at an airport decide your impression of the whole country, then you're an idiot. I don't judge the whole of Spain just because of some openly racist football fans that they have or because they murder bulls slowly for fun.
well this is no news Airport security in Israel is the worst! just playing power games! My family stopped visiting me
the treatment of the person will be nothing for how God will judge