Police shoot U.S. student's laptop upon entry to Israel

At least she knows something about Judaism now.

Michael, you do make sense. Although travelling around Europe is relatively easy when you hold a EU passport. My friend in Paris knows an Iranian born gay fashion designer with pink hair.. I only described him and his job as to show how he does not fit the profile of a standard terrorist. The only evidence of his Iranian side is his surname and place on his passport. However the last time he entered the UK he spent over 4 hours with an armed police man and immigration being questioned for his motives of entering the UK. He wasn't shot or his belongings but his bags were all emptied, walked over by sniffer dogs.. and after 4 hours. welcome I don't believe this is a rare occurence. It was his 4th time entering to be 'interviewed'..

...vandalized by US/Canada border security: I had no idea this happened at all, let alone with any frequency. I would suggest that our outrage about this practice is in the response sections under articles about it... Also, what is questioning the lack of outrage over your own experience supposed to accomplish? Are you saying that what the Israeli security officers did is okay because we do it too? Because if it's okay, why do you sound so mad about it? And if it's not okay (and I don't think it is), then why are you attacking people who are saying that that sort of behavior isn't okay? I understand that you want to raise awareness, since there is apparently no publicity about US/Canada border officers destroying car seats, but if you do it with such a defensive and self-contradicting tone, no one will listen.

The police had the laptop in thier possesion for checking and decided to shoot it! Maybe because it had Arabic key board? I wonder if one of the bullets ricoshade and hit Tourism to Israel

"Imagine NYPD shooting up Israelis` laptops? There would be a firestorm if the NYPD would shoot up "suspicious" Israeli laptops at JFK airport." Imagine dozens of terror attacks a year against New Yorkers first.

that's what you get for using macintosh!

These guards are idiots. Must be PC users.

She said on her blog that she left the laptop UNATTENDED while she sat outside and enjoy the view. Of course it was destroyed as are ALL unattended items! She also had anti-Israel photos and literature and was coming overland from Egypt. She very well could have a bomb, or one could have been planted on her by a "friend". It's happened before. I have absolutely no sympathy. She's getting a new laptop and they even let her enter the country. She has nothing to complain about, she brought this upon herself.

I am blown away by the responses i've read here. This policy of hate that seems to be inbred in the state of Israel is frightening. Hearing, "that must have been fun" or "its her fault for travelling to those other countries". To blame this girl for wanting to explore the world and get some perspective is shameful. Maybe exploring outside of your bubble is exactly what those of you who take that attitude need. If she was suspicious, obviously you have every right to protect your security, no one argues against that. This goes far beyond this.

The police man or woman saw there reflection on the blank screen were so disturbed by the ugly person they saw, and shot at it in panic ,, the only reasonable theory........

Israel has forgotten it's past and is now repeating it.

if this is how they treat non-jews with foreign passports (technically a US passport)- imagine how they deal with officially stateless persons (Palestinians) living under their full control.

Israel and israelis are very nice people they never do anything bad and whenever they do anything that look no good it is for security reason and we owe them an apology.

when Nice Canadians drive across the USA and have their seats torn open and are denied compensation as the USA and Canada both do not compensate. I have had it happen to me when crossing into Buffalo. Canada and USA have had peace since before Canada was even a country, since 1812. Israel and Egypt have had a shakey peace deal since 1978, Israel has had 1000's of terrorist attacked perpetrated against it's citizens inside of Israel, USA has had 4 from external threats, (not including Pearl Harbour which was act of war) all occur on 911, a horrible and tragic day for All Americans and Persons of this world. But that said, if USA has the right after 1 day of gruesome attacks, surely Israel deserves the right after 1000s. So, since you are not a bias person, please let me know where in the Globe or T-Star or National Post I can find your crtiques of similar instances that have occured along the 49th parrallel. No mention of compensation in Israel v no comp in USA and Canada Y?

Someone finally figured it out! Except that you forgot to say that the shots made the computer (w)hole!

Now THAT was funny! Best response I've read.

10 well laid on lashes would also been appropriate. No need of extreme reaction but an enduring lesson for the culprit.

Here's the deal. They looked through her hard drive and kept the information they needed, however they probably want to monitor her so they shot her comp and made her think that she salvaged her hard drive. Watch your back Lily. They know what you're doing.

Nothing justifies taking such measures, I wonder what Israel would say if the UK or Germany took such measures in the name of security. We can just imagine what the Palestinians go through

Dear Madam/Sir, with all do respect to your comment, I think you were too quick to judge. None of us knows what arouse the Israeli border police suspicion. Miss Lily did not provide any explanation as to why she was so thoroughly checked. When you live as we do here in Israel, in a country which suffered from hundreds of terror activities, you tend to be suspicious. Can you blame us? Your insinuation that Israel is not a democracy is highly not acceptable. You really ought to freshen your knowledge of the middle east before throwing staff like that into the net.

I have no sympathy for anyone who travels to places that are under UN suspicion of hosting war criminals. In places like that you get what you asked for by travelling there in the first place.

...is to start shooting laptops owned by Israeli tourists who arrive at Kennedy Airport. THEN we will hear the other side of the story from those who are contorting themselves to justify this act of oafish state vandalism.

This is what you get when you elect dangerous demagogues. They empower unintelligent people with guns and uniforms and use them to abuse and intimidate the public. We had Bush, so I can only criticize so much. But PLEASE get rid of Netanyahu -- and all the crazy, ugly people like him.

AS an American Gentile who has always supported Israel, I am reluctant to visit Israel now. In Netanyahu and the kind of people who support him and are like him -- like America's Bushies, incidentally -- you are creating a culture in which I know I will not be a welcome visitor. You won't see me coming to Israel. I know bigotry when I see it.

More abhorrent behavior by Israelis. Why can the Israeli leaders not control such behavior? Or is it condoned?

Again, the paranoia some of these posts exhibit is evidence of people whose minds have been twisted systematically by, say, somebody's propaganda. Decent people do not assume the victim is to blame and make up fantasized justifications for this stupid, brutal act.

... is paranoid and deeply uncivilized. I won't spend my tourist dollars in a country where talk like that represents legitimate political opinion. You're as crazy as the illiterate radicals in the radical Arab states.

As I read some of these responses, I sense, not a concern about security, but a highly volkisch, chauvinist, arrogant, DELIBERATE paranoia. I don't like these people who are saying "she must have been doing something wrong, because our side is always right".

TELL ME WHY ARE THE ISRAEL MILITARY SHOOTING AT AMERICANS THAT FLY INTO THERE COUNTRY WITH LAP TOPS? DID SHE DO SOMETHING WRONG? DO ISRAELI NATIONALS FLY TO AMERICA FREELY? DO THEY GET SHOT AT. FORTUNATLY ISRAELI MILITARY WAS NOT CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES IN IT'S TOTAL DISTRUCTION OF GAZA AND IT PEOPLE. I ADHORE ISRAEL FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO THE PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS THE WAR CRIMES THAT THEY WILL NEVER BE TRIED FOR. THE AMERICAN GIRL THAT WAS SHOT AT BECAUSE SHE HAD A LAP TOP. I PERSONALLY THINK THE WORLD SHOULD BOYCOTT ISREAL IN TRAVEL AND ALL THERE PRODUCTS. I ALSO THINK THEY SHOULD GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WEST BANK. THAT IS PALESTINIAN TERRITORY. ISRAEL WON'T LET PALESTINIANS MIGRATE TO ISRAEL SO WHAT GIVES THE ISRAELI'S THE RIGHT TO BUILD SETTLEMENTS ON THE WEST BANK? SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE.

This is just ugly. I've always wanted to come to Israel as a tourist, but I am now afraid that I will be treated as this young lady was treated. This is NOT the Israel I have supported for all my life.

Humans! You r a funny lot. On my planet we welcome our guests!

Why would you shoot the screen with three bullets if, as someone suggested, they wanted to shoot the battery. I'm more baffled if you were suspicious about a battery being a destructive device, why you'd shoot it! Such a shame that the region of the world concerned can't just accept each other and get on with making the world a better place and really thriving on the richness of their cultures lands and diversity of people.

OK, obviously the guards were 100% wrong to do what they did-- but, at the end of the day, it's just a fucking laptop. The really disgusting thing is how nationalist zealots will refuse to admit this was wrong. Where is the limit drawn? Is your government allowed to commit any injustice it feels like? Will you let it? Will you praise it? Your reactions to this have been absolutely disgusting.

Pity the American citizens who give 2 Billion $ and get treated like this. Arrogance?

The soldiers felt threatened by something, this is NOT something that happens every day, an isolated incident. We only have heard one side of the argument, also if you read her blog she states that when she got her visa in Egypt, that the Egyptian government screwed up the dates on the visa, she speaks fluent Arabic and her blog has her having meetings with Al-Jazeera. None of this is a crime but if you live with the constant threat of some crazy Palestinian blowing him self up with you and your family, chances are your profiling everyone and trusting none.. Thees soldiers did nothing wrong and I'm proud my country America supports Israel. This little girl from Boston needs to get her head out of her ass!.

Even if her bag was suspicious, you don?t disarm a bomb by shooting it with a handgun; you call in the robot that shoots high pressure water to disrupt any electronic circuit, not some security guard eager to try out his new toy.

would be overflowing with broken batteries and irate travellers "Apple without a removable battery" Every similar Apple notebook that goes through is destroyed? Common airport screening devices can easily pick the difference between explosives and batteries.

E: "My guess is that in her case they had to destroy it with violence because it was an Apple without a removable battery, so they could not get to just the battery." Eduardo, if you are suspicious of the battery then you (a) unplug the power supply away and then (b) tell the girl to power up the laptop. If the laptop boots up then what is in the battery compartment is "a battery". If the laptop explodes the what is in the battery compartment is "a bomb". Not that difficult, I would have thought, and not only does it save you three bullets and much time, it also kills one more terrorist...

CBK: "Perhaps the computer had something offensive in it against Israel?" Or maybe the Border Policeman had just had an argument wiv' the missus' before coming to work, and so he had to take his annoyance out on somebody. Come on, Chaim: They shot a fully-functioning laptop full of bullets. Who does that, unless they are a complete and utter dick?

My wife and I were thinking about visiting Israel next fall and had already begun to make plans. We have changed our minds.

If you go read Lily's blog, you can find out more about her border crossing. The picture is something she mentions in her own blog. And while it's certainly not against the law to have such a picture on one's camera, when taken in context with the rest of Ms. Sussman's accessories and commentary, raises suspicion in the eyes of a wary border guard.

before telling us what's fictional or not.

Toward the beginning of the search an officer began clicking through the photos on my camera. She froze on a picture of graffiti, which read ?F..k? scrawled next to the Jewish star of David. ?Why do you have this picture?? She asked me rather aggressively. ?Because I was disturbed by it too,? I answered. She didn?t press the subject but continued clicking?presumably looking at pictures from a photo exhibit about Israel?s January attack of Gaza.

She left her bag and went outside so it became suspicious. http://lilysussman.wordpress.com/ All other claims are just Anti-Israel bias.

This has almost happened to me and has happened twice in one week to a Yeshiva friend of mine from Canada. from her own blog (very anti-Israel btw): http://lilysussman.wordpress.com/ "I went inside to check on my bag. I had left it unattended, where they instructed. It was still there so I went back outside." Welcome to Israel! Because of terrorism one cannot leave their bag unattended! There was no other motive here. She forgot her bag and it got called in so they shot it with a robot. Shame on all the haters here who claim other motives to be the case.

In small way, ridiculous, abusive and appalling - regardless of "excuse". But reminds everyone of big ways Israel acts are immoral, disgusting, evil.

offhand the articles mentions: "She added that she had also been carrying an Arabic phrasebook, stamps from Syria, Qatar and the UAE and a Palestinians in Palestine guidebook." No wonder they found her suspicious as she fit the profile of a girlfriend working for Arabs against Israel or a ISM agent. I'd be upset if someone shot my Mac book and I wonder if she cannot apply for compensation as that seems to be unnecessary that if it was really a threat they could have held on to it and checked it. Perhaps the computer had something offensive in it against Israel?

You have never driven from Canada to USA or you believe that USA is not a civilized society. Read my post #68 I think you are wrong to say that property is an unalienable right, Security will certainly trump. What is important to note: USA has constituinal amendment granting property rights, these rights don't exist for ALiens Canada has no specified Property rights, (charter right 7 says security of persons, for citizens or Aliens) But Israel, israel respect property rights, if it destroys your stuff it will compesensate you, that is pretty damn fair, and amazing so many miss this, or write it off like White Russian as a non-sensical point. Anyways, Steikjer since you agree with me, perhaps you will help petition USA. alwayslearning@live.ca

White Russian, I think you might have had a few too many of those, or you just didnt understand my post, either way, the name calling isn't needed and you missed the biggest point. "The US has every reason to search ESPECIALLY Israeli vehicles and persons crossing the border." -- I AM CANADIAN BORN AND RAISED, why does the USA have an added right to search persons crossing the border from CANADA A VERY PEACEFUL COUNTRY TO USA than ISRAEL FROM EGYPT, WHERE A SHAKEY PEACE DEAL HOLDS THINGS IN PLACE NOW FOR THE PART WHICH YOU MISSED AND I WAS TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT - COMPENSATION IN CANADA AND USA I WILL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION, BUT WHY WOULD YOU EVER PRAISE ISRAEL FOR DOING SOMETHING MORAL, COMPENSATING PEOPLE FOR PROPERTY THAT ISRAEL DAMAGED. BUT EH, I DON'T MIND BEING CALLED AN IDIOT BY YOU,BY SOMEONE INTELLIGENT DIFFERENT STORY

"josh" said: "and they simply followed protocol. The article gives no reason, good or bad, for shooting the laptop. Since security instructed her to leave it where she left it, as a fellow security worker, I assume they shot it simply to teach her a lesson about attitude. Just the same as this person: http://bit.ly/55I2fZ Her account; http://bit.ly/792FTn I work in security. You can put a bomb in anything! But NO ONE SHOOTS A BOMB EXCEPT SOMEONE WHO WANTS IT TO GO OFF! Think it through. They shoot the laptop but let her keep her data? Well that means they don't think she was spying. They knew the laptop wasn't a bomb or they wouldn't have shot it. What does this leave? Simple, when you are being asked questions by us, shut up and be cooperative. We have enough to do without dealing with lousy attitudes and obstructionism. We can do this all day long. so learn the lesson well. Be cooperative and respectful. Then maybe we can actually look for terrorists.

A similar thing happened to me boarding a plane at Ben Gurion. I was held over for questioning for a long while, and in the meantime the police took my laptop along with the rest of my luggage. When I got it back, they told me they had needed to take apart the battery - it seems that under x rays batteries look awfully suspicious; a series of blocks of matter with cables going in and out of them. So they tried to take it apart, and in the process broke it. Annoying, for sure, but those guys were just trying to do their job, were as professional and nice about it as can be, and issued me a receipt to refund my battery. That laptop was a dell, with a removable battery. My guess is that in her case they had to destroy it with violence because it was an Apple without a removable battery, so they could not get to just the battery. Plus all the other suspicious facts around her probably caused the security folks to take the safer, thou more destructive approach

If you are trying to destroy the sensitive information on a laptop you need to shoot the hard drive!

Self-Indulging Self-pity. Why would a young person be so delayed at the border Egypt-Israel? 2 hours? Only this is suspicious. There are 2 explanation to this: 1. Lily DOES have some security issues 2. Lily didn't answer the security questions like an innocent person should, which raised suspicion of the border control.

Michael, European and US security personnel REGULARLY destroy all kinds of computers and electronic devices. Just like the $20,000 stream server that my friend Solomon took from the US to Israel on British Air was taken apart and broken in the US by US Immigration Agents. On the way home, it took him two months to get what was left of the computer back to him as it was held over in London for investigation.

From the description of the incident it seems that border police were very accommodating. I am only surprised that the hard disk of her computer, here cell phone and camera were not confiscated so a complete search of their contents could not be made. I am surprised that that Ms Sussman was detained for more in-depth interrogation but I also understand that the border police have a lot of work and they have to sometimes limit their interrogation of suspect visitors. A single female with arab contacts and travel has a very high risk profile. The security forces were doing their job. We should thank our security forces and police for the fine work they do in making every effort for Israel to be safe for citizens and visitors.

"We carry our scientific careers in our laptops. The behaviour of this idiotic cop could have destroyed a decade of work." If you carry a laptop while travelling that contains the only copy of a decade of work, you've got much bigger issues than the border guards. How about: failing hard drive, stolen laptop, file-deleting virus, filesystem corruption... I could go on, but basically there are dozens of ways your laptop could lose your decade of work if it never even leaves your office. If your work is important, and I'm guessing from your tone you think it is, then you should be doing regular backups at the best of times. Travelling to a foreign country would be something that should require a complete backup just before leaving for the airport.

#59, zionist forever: You think that computer can be repaired simply by replacing the screen and keyboard? Is the entire case just an empty shell with a hard drive in one corner, or what? And even if that were true, I'm not sure I'd want to be walking around with a laptop full of bullet holes. Probably make her next trip through customs even more interesting. I can guarantee that those three bullets went clean through the motherboard, and the only salvageable parts in that machine are the hard drive, and, possibly, the DVD drive, if it was at the right hand side. It's going to be significantly cheaper to replace than get it repaired. I'm guessing the motherboard itself will run over your "couple of thousand shekels."

Let's start with one simple premise -- if you suspect that an object may be an explosive, you do NOT simply shoot it. You examine it and then remove it for a controlled detonation. So it's clear the border guards did not think that the computer was an explosive. Anyone on this forum who thinks that they were "just being careful" is an absolute cretin. If the guards even suspected that the laptop was dangerous, shooting it would have been idiotically dangerous. So assuming that the border guards were not absolute idiots, or insane, there's just one explanation left over: the guards wanted to bully Ms. Sussman, or teach her a lesson... using firearms. This sort of behavior happens all the time in third world hellholes. It has no place in a civilized country.

It really doesn't matter if this incident happened on the Israeli-Egyptian or the Swedish-Norwegian border. This is not how civilized people treat each other even under the so called "War on Terror". This kind of behaviour is not acceptable and the people responsible should first of all publicly state that this was a very wrong thing to do, and thereafter resign and let responsible adults take their place. In any other civilized country this would have happened immediately! That it doesn't in Israel underlines it's government's stand on human rights. As long as the human is not a native Israeli he or she really doesn't count as human. It's a fact and it's sad - for Israel.

The US has every reason to search ESPECIALLY Israeli vehicles and persons crossing the border. The case of two Israelis caught in Washington State comes to mind. They were caught with explosives residue in their van. Kind of suspicious, no? I know, it's not like they were in possession of something imminently dangerous such as a laptop, right? You're an idiot.

You don't seriously think of repairing that wreckage do you? It will be a miracle enough if the hard drive is sufficiently working she can get at the contents. Repairing the relationship between this young lady and the Israeli border police however is quite possible and all things considered I think she behaved admirably. I do not fault the Israelis for being extra careful at their borders - it is a price that must be paid for security. My lesson learned: Always back up your hard drive before going on a trip. Always.

It seems to me that anybody who has contact with Arabs and Palestinians are regarded as enemies of Israel. It is the you or us question. Too bad for the Israelis, it shows how fascistic are some elements of Israeli society.

Let's set aside the whole of issue of whether this woman was genuinely suspicious or if their actions were justified. Why would they shoot the laptop? I just can't believe that their standard operating procedure when they suspect that luggage may contain a bomb or chemical/biological weapon is to shoot it. It just seems unsafe and irresponsible. Why would you shoot a bomb? I can see placing a blast shield around it and detonating it, but shooting it three times? It's not clear from this article if this took place in an airport or a border crossing, but I wouldn't think the Border Police would make a habit out of unnecessarily discharging their weapons in public. Is anyone familiar with procedures and protocols for dealing with suspicious baggage at the Israeli border? Does this make any sense?

-hand drawn map of downtown Jerusalem with her hostel and the bus station noted -Arabic stickers on laptop actually on the keys, much like hebrew stickers when you don't want to buy another keyboard -"F**k Star of David" pic on phone -passport stamps from Arab countries -various Arab publications -photos condemning Israeli military action in Gaza

It was suspicious. The girl looked Jewish. She claimed she was part Jewish. She knew nothing about Judaism. It appears she had particular political views. She may reside in Egypt. The guy that was behind the Mumbai attacks passed himself off as a Jew in order to do surveilance at the Mumbai Chadbad Center. That explains it for me.

Here is a video interview of Lily Sussman about the incident. Israel's response is also added. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihXtbB-4GWw

Chanawashdc - Thank You! I agree completely - others have touched on this point, but with less neutrality. As an IT support person, I can even see a hypothetical situation as simple as the guards not being able to turn on and/or log into the Mac laptop (because it was a Mac & not Windows), got frustrated and shot the thing! (think about it) Sure, they could have asked the woman to do it, BUT from a male oriented region, that would imply a woman knew more than a man which would be slight to the guard's ego. AND (my point) "she could activate the bomb" if there actually was one hidden in the laptop and she was a suicide bomber, having just left the countries her passport indicated.

What I know of security procedures is that this woman was asked to demonstrate, that de box was a laptop. then when she couldn't open the lid nor activate the OS, she raised enough suspicion for destroying the box. This procedure is also followed for cell-phones.

I'll have to fly to Israel for professional reasons in the near future. Can anyone advice on what to do if I am told by security officials to depart from my luggage? Thank you!

If she were a terrorist she would not have a Syrian stamp in her passport. The border guards know this very well of course. But she visited Syria and she was punished for that.

Quite apart from what we can deduce about Israeli border guards, we can learn quite a lot about talkbackers here. 1) There is nothing - however unjustified, offensive, humiliating, and demeaning - which an Israeli can do to an Arab or a suspected Arab sympthasiser which will not find a talkbacker to defend it. 2) Most of the pro-Israeli talkbackers are magnificently pig-headed. In their efforts to demonstrate (1) above, they fail completely to realise that there is no conceivable security reason for putting a bullet through a computer. If you think it has dangerous data, you take the data off an analyse it; if you think it has a bomb, you take it away and defuse it. As for the border guards, if we they have as much intelligence as a cabbage, they know this fine. So we have to look for other motives: intimidation?

Shoot an electronic device suspected of containing a bomb, as that's highly unsafe and might not even destroy the explosive device at all. You destroy it, safely and entirely. Similarly, you do not shoot an electronic device suspected of containing classified data in digital form, you destroy it safely and completely (or better yet, you confiscate and investigate). Whoever things there is anything behind this event than harassment is completely clueless.

Do you mean like those "enlightened" Euros of 39-45?????? If so YUP I am Middle Eastern

Thanks God I am just a civilized man.

Dear Lily Sussman: I am sorry to hear that you have been inconvenienced by my country's security procedures. It seems a little brash of the Israel Defense Force to be so hostile and classify you as a possible national threat ONLY because you have controversial anti israeli & antisemitic photographs, Arabic literature and happen to have traveled to several Arabic/Islamic countries prior to landing in Israel. Look, we all feel your pain and frustration but what you must realize is that the safety of an entire people depend on these security checks. If you want to blame anyone, please blame the leaders of the countries you visited since it is their fathers and grand fathers who have forced Israel to resort to extreme security searches. Look on the bright side, your laptop hard drive was purposely saved by the thoughtful security guards and you are receiving a brand new laptop which is an Israeli's way of saying "hey, we have to do what we have to do and thanks for understanding.

IF THAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME, I'D BE THOUROUGHLY PISSED.

Persecute a person (in the this case people) for long enough and they will begin persecuting themselves. Thus Ms Sussman comes to hate Israel and her own Jewish people. Apart from her treasured anti-semitic images, she has met with numerous activists including Al Qaeda terrorist operatives in various Arab countries. Really, Ms Sussman, you didn't know?? Sure. Is it any wonder that the Israeli border police questioned her and suspected a bomb in her laptop?? How many people will this miserable woman hurt in her effort to feed her own ego?

According to another site this is what they found on her arrival at the border. -hand drawn map of downtown Jerusalem -Arabic stickers on laptop -"F**k Star of David" pic on phone -passport stamps from Arab countries -various Arab publications -photos condemning Israeli military action in Gaza Why didn't she just tape road flares to her chest? Of course the guard got suspicious and called for the bomb squad. Stupid hippie...Got what she deserved.

It's very difficult to respond to this story properly, as we don't yet have the police/security version of events. Therefore I am not condoning or condemning these events. Nonetheless, when it comes to security, it is very very important to understand one thing - if there is any doubt at all then you act there and then, and apologise later if need be. There is no way to apologise for having been able to stop an attack that happened as a result of fear of embarassment. Better a damaged laptop than casualties.

in the Middle East

S: "Me i just smile, and answer what they want to know." Guard: Are you Jewish, Mr. Sabra? Sabra: Yep, sure am. Guard: No need to shoot YOUR laptop then.... Sabra: Gosh! Thanks for that! Guard: You're welcome.

and an ordinary luggage xray suffices for an explosives check.

"Can you seriously imagine a US or European border guard ever acting quite like that?" I guess Israeli police should take lessons from the Brits, who don't put three bullets into a computer; oh no, they're much better: they put 35 bullets into a poor Brazilian desgraciado.

We are in 1938 more and more

Well obviously they are fans of the PC. Must be the new Windows 7 Operating System.

Its shameful behavior how Israelis treat visitors even we with our police state, treat them better. Our spies tell us that what we cannot do with our anti Israeli propaganda the Israelis do it better and do our job for us to get people to hate Israel. There are many horror stories .

on a non-american passport. Or try Heathrow. See what waits for you.... Good luck.....On the laptop, bullets mark are from an ammo caliber NOT USED by the Israeli Police.

Someone asked why they would shoot a laptop. Here is the answer. A contained explosion is far cheaper, instantaneous and easier than trying to find out of the laptop has a bomb in it. Obviously, she had a number of cards playing against her from the beginning (single white female, with single male friends from Arab countries, living in an Arab country, visiting several Muslim nations) but these are not enough to merit the treatment she received. The border patrol are trained quite well and they are very methodical in how they treat people and that treatment various based upon the person's responses. They obviously didn't like some of her responses which put her into the high threat category. She probably said something like, no my bags were under the bus and not in my control the entire time. As a result, they would have search her bags extensively etc... In any case, she will get her laptop replaced and in the future, perhaps learn that in the ME wisdom is more important that zeal.

Google "British Police London Underground 22 July 2005"

It seems that Israel never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to prove to the world that it is not a country that should be avoided at all cost. It is already bad enough that Israelis have a reputation around the world for being arrogant and rude, but does it now intend to build a reputation for vandalizing peoples property upon arrival as well. Shame!

In my mind, logic dictates that its more likely that I'd believe an adult Israeli Border Guard before an American university type, and that saving a single Jewish life by means of stringent security precautions is FAR more significant than inconvenience to travelers, especially, those traveling to cause harm to Jews.

I will be travelling to Israel next year and am taking my laptop. I guess I better have the right answers to the questions.

It's really hard to chose the mother of all stupid comments from the "executed computer" incident. Let's be very clear- unless you live in an alternate bizarro universe there is no valid reason to put three bullets in a laptop computer, it's juvenile and dangerous, not careful and what could possibly be the "whole story " except that these border guards need psychiatric treatment. It's beginning to look like the whole damn country could use a good shrink and in a hurry!

I have been reading her blogs for the last few hours. Fascinating. Unfortunate that she had this happen. Anyway, she is following a path few would travel, and will learn much. I wish her well.

Israel has no choice-I ask anyone of you-would you rather risk someone's life than hurt someone's feelings? This person traveled to places that are very hostile with Israel-that should make her high profile simple as that. She was probably heading to east Jerusalem hostle with her Arabic phrases book- do you think Israel needs another foreigner in there that has no sensetivity to the fear that people live under in that country. She sounds like a spoiled American girl- I know I go to Berkeley see them all the time. Lap top was shot becausde she was probably being a brat yelling for her human rights or something. Many people from outside think that Israel and the terror is not real till it bites them in the face. What would happen to her and how would she have been treated if she didn't wear full body coverings in Egypt (yup I have been there and I am a woman)so for everyone who is harsh with security in a country like Israel is just out of reality.

an overly zealous security officer? a false positive triggered by an electronic security system? or just another day like any other? i'd certainly be curious in finding out some day. right now though, i'm split between bemusement and compassion for everyone who has to endure the anxieties that give rise to such events..

Explain the shooting of a laptop that obviously worked, since they went through its files. If there was another side to the story, why wasn't she arrested? In Israelis' Mind, Americans who are not Jewish or Christian fundamentalists have not place in Israel. Americans who cannot Prove sympathy to Israel or those who enjoy living and studying in an Arab country or collecting Arab stamps, are personae non gratae in Israel. Goody! The Arab World Has won the sympathy of yet another American for life! Thank you "Guards".

by far.

She was likely suspect because her official name was/is SUSSMAN which is a reasonably common Jewish name in the USA. Yet she claimed ignorance of anything Jewish but had some Arab material with her. Put this in ur pipe and smoke it!!!. The publicization of the story tends to slant one's imagination that she was/is no great friend of either Jews or Israel.

Israel dosen't like cameras, Have to maintain the illusion you know

I notice that a lot of the views imply that democracy in Israel is dying. I would suggest you look at America where the constituion is being bypassed and democracy as far as the federal givernment seems concerned is well and truly dead. However in essence there is no such thing as democracy. Who gave governments the right to sign up to UN treaties. Who gave governments the right to pursue a one world government? Not me or anyonhe I know. Dennis

Isnt enough we give u $3 billion of our dollars each year - instead of treating Americans like gold, I have watched youtube videos where you call our President the "n" word and now this. Without us you would not survive - you should be rolling out a red carpet not shooting Americans computers. I hope they take the cost of the computer out of the $3 billion we give u - in fact we should be using all that $ for Americans to help provide health care!!

of the real world of terror that the Israel people have to live in. The security guards have to check every thing coming in because previous packages have contained explosives.

I know how things are complicated when it comes to security in Israel. There are thousands of stories on how much exaggeration on the procedures done by the security there. what ever was the police were thinking about the lady, her background, stamps, etc I do not see any reason to shoot the laptop. They could just test it, scan it or do anything to find out if there was a bomb or anything else, shooting at a laptop is shameful. What is strange for me is the responses and comments by most of the people in Israel where they agree to, justify and give excuses for the act by the border police. They even hope that the lady learnt a lesson!!!!!!!!! It is clear now the Israeli community is turning to be military one believing in violence as first option!!!!! You are in bad luck lily, if you go to court in your country you and the people who sympathies with you will be classified as anti-Semitic!!!!!!!!

There would be a firestorm if the NYPD would shoot up "suspicious" Israeli laptops at JFK airport.

You seem to be a very unlucky guy. I had the "additional security check" two times so far. Both times it was about an hour an not very pleasant, but acceptable. Concerning the laptop-story: This girl seem to be either very naive, or she is not telling the whole story. She entered from Egypt with a Syrian stamp in her passport (bad idea), she had a handdrawn map of downtown Jerusalem in her pocket, a Palestinian "tourist guide", an Arab sticker on the Laptop. If I would be a masochist with a favor for long questioning, that would be the 1on1 I would follow. Enter Syria or Iran with a Israeli stamp in your passport, a "Jewish guidebook" and a Zionist sticker on your computer and you won't get away with two hours of questioning. Blowing up the laptop was certainly an overreaction, but she did everything in her power to get into problems.

why should I have to deal with this crap? I'm a non-Jewish American so I'm sure that some bored IDF soldier would love to give me a hard time....

anyone who travels into Israel should expect to be screened and asked questions. If their answers prompt further scrutiny, they should be thankful for the proceedures because they save lives

what i wonder about is, how come noone told this young lady "you just don't enter israel from an arab country w/that kind of luggage & expect to be waved in without serious problems just waiting to happen to you." she obviously had never been to israel & was totally ignorant about what heat she was drawing. you don't do just whatever when going to israel. it's not disneyland. if there's only a reason to suspect anything not legitimate about your stay they turn you upside down & wrench you inside out 20 times, just for a start, & you should expect it.

Lily Sussman was not an American tourist who while on tour passed through Egypt on her way to viit Israel. Lily has been working in Egypt for several months on aproject to help refugees in Cairo. Not refugess from Sudan or Somalia but refugees from Iraq. People who are fleeing Iraq and in Lily's own words fly in with money and set themselves up to lead aprosperous life. She has many arab friends from countries that are hostile to Israel. No wonder she was stopped at the Egyptian-Israel border, not Ben Gurion Airport. With this many red flags, no wonder whe was subjected to intensive questioning. Any one who wants to take the time can google Lily Sussman and read all the reports that aroused Israeli suspicions.

Since her hard drive survived the ordeal, perhaps Apple would be interested in using her experience in an ad campaign. ?Takes a licking and keeps on??

No the "big bad Iranians" just throw Americans in jail for spying...and try them in their kangaroo courts...as was announced yesterday regarding the 3 young American hikers who inadvertently wandered across the Iranian border.

less . Good job requires extra vigilance when dealing with vicious enemies and their supporters . I would like to see how Arabs would behave another way around , if an ardent Israel supporter enters their country . This misguided girl should stay home and read novels instead of being an anarchist and stir trouble . Even better , she should stay in Egypt or Syria .

What seems a strange act of shooting a computer, is not if you live in Israel. Those who live in London with (I can't believe the figure) 1 million surveillance cameras should feel akin to the Israelis. No one faces the challenges the Israelis face (yet), so all the hand wringing over the computer is misplaced. My guess was that security did not want her either blogging or collecting information and transmitting outside of the country during her visit. Someone suggested that they shot the computer because it was an Apple product. Not so sure that that person is wrong. Security resources may be geared to PC products and they did not want the extra bother of trekking through the Apple operating system.

towards people with Syrian stamps in their passports try flying into Miami from Columbia or Peru, and those are both friendly countries as far as the US INS is concerned. I waited 3 hours in a small room while they broke all my souveniers in pieces looking for contraband. I was personally searched and questioned about where I had been and what I had done all because the guards couldn't imagine someone wanting to spend a month in a 3rd world country. And that was long before the 911 paranoia changed the travel world. Now there are real justifications for such treatment as the Lily got, and in Israel it seems as though this has always been the case. As a previous reader said, take assurance from the fact that these measures protect both Israelis and tourists.

on a lighter note (because I know how serious it is) if you forget your gym bag on the bus, you're liable to have your dirty underwear shot-up hahaha.. don't be surprised about the laptop, no joke

The point is, she presented herself as a security risk (she sounds like another self-hating Jew to me). Israel is surrounded by fanatical enemies on all sides, and they must have extraordinary security measures in place. I have no sympathy for her.

"The background that the story doesn`t tell ..." But you just made up a fictional background to try to excuse the border guards' behaviour. That is really scraping the Zionist barrel! "My country, right or wrong!" And it isn't even your country.

or apologize if they raid a residence, kick in the door, tear the walls apart looking for drugs, or even accidently shoot a suspect if they had good reason for their suspicion. I would say Lily did well if she got an apology, her hard drive back, and compensation for the damaged computer. Only on TV do authorities try to dismantle bombs. In the Canada and the US police blast suspected packages with shotguns and laptops are probably the No.1 suspicious package around. Why take a chance approaching a possible deadly device?

yes this sounds ridiculous, but there is a seriousness to it!Israel has and is the target of every dingdong in the world,male female and other, i have learned that an angels face is not always what it shows,and that learned and diplomed persons are often the NON sense prophets of doom.the problem is that we BELIEVE them because we have no univercity degrees, WELL DONE ISRAEL do not trust ANYone of them.

There are many reasons for scientists like myself deciding not to visit Israel until the conversion of Israel to normal rules of behaviour. Here is a new one. We carry our scientific careers in our laptops. The behaviour of this idiotic cop could have destroyed a decade of work. If the hard disk survived it looks like astonishing good luck. We shall see whether it did. Meanwhile, best not bring your laptops to Israel. Better still, choose not to come at all while this brigandige continues. Prefer Skype. Jonathan Howard

I agree this is a standard border tactic. However, they were ineffective in blowing up the laptop because the data was not destroyed. They should have ground that drive and any disks into dust and reimbursed the cost of the drive rather the entire laptop. Then you can say security was implemented. This was rather amateurish and childish without any effective result in containing a suspect security threat. Shin Bet can do better!

Knowing nothing about Judaism is the least of Lily's problems. In Syria she mingled with student union whose charter states: "The Union fights for the liberation of all occupied Arab territories and the expulsion of the Israeli enemy from Palestine, the occupied Syrian Golan and all from the Israeli nazism and racism,? Birds of feather...

The 3 American hikers detaned in Iran are on trial. Lily is merely inconvenienced. Is this really news?

I spent six years in Israel listening to Sabras excusing all sorts of self centered, unethical and down right mean things with excuses of "well, you just don't understand us!" There's no excuse for shooting a laptop, it doesn't defuse anything. If a bomb had truly been suspected, much more care would have been taken. It's just more of the "big fish in a small pond" syndrome that endangers Israel much more than the terrorists do.

I'm a young, white, non-jewish male and after living in Israel for two years everything but the shooting is completely common. Two to three hours to get through security for me was the norm once I had a Jordan stamp in my passport (teaches me for wanting to see the sights). Taking clothes off, going through all of my bags with the cloth wand two or three times, two or three separate questioners etc is standard routine.

Israeli border crossings are the worst in the world for the traveller. Everyone is made to feel they are a suspect. London is strict but the security personnel smile and are apologetic for any delays. I found the same in the US - strict security but pleasant staff.Good manners and politeness do not rate very highly on the Israeli agenda. By contrast I travel via Jordan and the difference is 100%. Even regular travellers to Israel complain about the way they are treated.

No reason to put off a trip, juet be prepared to answer questions truthfully when asked. If you get fancy with Israeli security they probe deeper. Don bt let anyone touch your luggage before leaving, do no accepot packages from strangers. enjoy the safety and security in ISrael. These guys are pros, that the rest of the world aspire to be. They can be abarsive but that is part of everyday ISrael. Me i just smile, and answer what they want to know. You cant let the little things there stop you from having fun . Remember the security is as nuch there for you as for israelis

I wonder if the Syrians and big bad Iranians do the same to American tourists? No they just arrest them and hold them captive until some high ranking US Official or Jesse Jackson begs for their release.

This was a message that if you help Muslims you could be shot too. Something in her answers and from where she was coming from put up red flags that a warning was called for. If you are Jewish coming directly from America you get treated well but non-Jews coming from Arab countries get the heavy hand treatment to send a warning. This could effect tourism but rarely put in print like this.

You don't "repair" electronics with bullet holes, you replace them. In this case the lcd is destroyed (obviously) and those bullets dead center through the keyboard destroyed the motherboard and most likely the processor. About the only things that could be saved from it are the ram and apparently the hard drive.

...the bullet holes on the screen don't go all the way through. Did they just use a pellet gun? What's up with that?

security is very tough on people travelling by themselves. the over reaction is understandable. however they should be very gracious to the suspect once they realise there is no danger. most reasonable people will undestand as long as the security people are gracious and professional.

if your laptop was full of anti-Iranian or anti-Syrian propaganda and they got angry, which is what I suspect happened here. Not to say it was right, but, did you read this person's blog? Not exactly someone you would think would be going to Israel to tour. If one is going to be provocative, sometimes there are consequences.

That are screaming WHY, THIS IS RIDICULOUS ETC... So to those persons, have you ever crossed the largest unguarded border in the world? It runs on the 49th Parallel and divides to great countries, Canada and USA. Well I can still remember driving down to Buffalo to do a little shopping and I guess a middle aged man going shopping alone in Buffalo is suspicious, I was detained for 4 hours, my car seats just destroyed, after 4 hours they found nothing, as there was nothing to find. I was told I was free to go, when I asked about who would fix my seats, the guard erupted in laughter, "you can at your expense." My seats probably costs more than her laptop, she must wait a month and be compensated? well amazing how no one praises the fact that she has a right to property that is being respected via compensation, something that doesn't exist for aliens to USA when entering via car. Where are your screams against the USA? Why do you pick on Israel, when it does more for the alien?

Carrying all guides in arabic, having a map to somewhere and having a laptop to transmit info... She knows nothing about Judaism but very versed in arabic... Good job security...I apploud you.. Seems like it is another pal's propaganda ploy to show how bad Israelis are..

from terrorist laptops. If anyone has a problem with it, they're anti-semites in league with the exterminationists.

In Iran they will arrest you on some trumped up charge(like being a hiker) and use you as a political trump card to keep their nuclear program going.

Woman crosses into Israel from Arab country, having made several stops in hostile countries prior to arrival, cannot explain why she's there or what her connection to Israel is, is carrying hand-written maps indicating tourist locations in central Jerusalem. All of these are potential red flags. And taken all together they definitely raise questions. Ha'aretz only fans the flames with dumb articles like this. Move along folks; nothing to see here. (Sorry about your laptop, m'am; you'll eventually be reimbursed. Welcome to Israel.)

This story is hilarious! Go Israel.

I've been in and out of Ben-Gurion several times and because I was volunteering with a joint Israeli-Palestinian Peace organization in the West Bank I really went through major hassles at the airport. But, I can certainly say that I never had my laptop "blown-up", luckily. The Israeli officers at the airport usually spend about two hours searching me, asking me questions, going through my luggage, computer files, etc. Really, you just have to be smart about these things because the Israelis are really uber-paranoid and militaristic. Definitely don't travel with your laptop, it's better to mail any items to your next destination or back home that you don't want them to spy on or read (including any Palestinian cultural trinkets, pictures, etc.). And really I found the best thing to do is fly in and out of Jordan if you're visiting the West Bank, or through Egypt if you're trying to find a way into Gaza, and then fly separately into Israel from Cairo or Amman.

I am an Indian married to an Israeli and raise suspicion at every possible place . A couple of years back I was returning from Sinai in my car with my family . At the Taba border they decided that they are going to go over my car . So they gave us a couple of plastic bags , made us take out every little pin in the car and then left us standing in the sun for nearly an hour at which point my wife lost her cool and started clicking the car with all our things , kids in the hot sun . So they came to inquire why we are clicking the things . When my wife told them she is clicking to send to a newspaper a manager came and told us we could leave . So they didn't check anything which goes to prove that there is no set rules or protocols, they decide to harass and check whomsover they please in whichever way . I can understand blowing up abandoned goods but shooting a laptop sounds most bizarre .

Wow, is this part of the worlds first anti-tourism campaign? I wonder if the Syrians and big bad Iranians do the same to American tourists?

From the looks of that picture the computer can be rapaired for just a couple of thousand shekels. All they do is put on a new monitor which Apple can do because I used to have an Apple laptop and the screen got damaged. I thought at first computer is finished but I took it to the store and the replaced the screen and the computer was just fine. Screen and keyboard from the looks of it but the computer can probably be salvaged for a reasonable price

Syria, Egypt and Jordan are full of American and European tourists- the countries are gorgeous and boast many amazing antiquities. They are also very safe for tourists. I've entered Israel from Egypt before. The Israelis I encountered at the border were characteristically rude- no surprise there.Luckily they didn't blow up my luggage. The guards were probably jealous bc they can't travel to these places with their Israeli passports.

No I am not delerious just pragmatic. I think the whole world is paranoid. I am an old lady living in Tel Aviv and have been stopped by the police whilst walking my dog with my camera. They wanted to know what I was doing. I still remember hearing the bomb go off at the Dolphinarium, so better to be safe than sorry. I am 100% sure the girl was nowhere near her laptop when they shot at it. Why they did I don't know but I imagine she wasn't acting normally. She now got her 15 minutes of fame.

You can't hide anything dangerous in the screen. X-rays should have shown the presence of any large masses. And anyone who has ever opened a laptop (especially a high end one like this) knows that they are jammed full of electronics. The manufacturer has already used up all the available space. You can't fit anything into a laptop besides a slip of paper. And if you think it has explosives, you don't want to shoot it, you want to to blow it up from a safe distance. It looks like it wasn't even disassembled. Maybe they were just messing with the rich American kid? (rich, because she has a somewhat expensive laptop and is touring the Middle East). And she has a book on the Palestinians. And she committed the crime of living in Egypt.

If she had tried to enter an Arab country with an israeli stamp she would be deported. There should be very very strict security screenings for all tourists with visas or passports of muslim countries.

Most of Israeli borders/checkpoints are guarded by 18 year child soldiers who have huge power trip and no idea how to man a checkpoint. They represent the face of Israel for all the visitors coming into the country. No wonder no one wants to come in for the second time.

Where you there? And if so, why is this not reported? Why would she be allowed entry to Israel with such a picture on her cellphone??

Knowing that everyone who isn't Jewish get's put through the third degree. This was what your nation was built on. Intolerance.

Actually shooting the laptop is over the top, but to be perfectly clear, this person is extremely anti-Israel and I doubt she was there simply for "tourism." One wonders why she was there at all. Read her blog: http://lilysussman.wordpress.com/

This was reported to have happened in 2007 as well, when the border police blew up an American's entire backpack and it's content, with the consolation "you'll get reimbursed". http://palsolidarity.org/2007/08/2591 Thanks for covering it this time, Haaretz.

the border gaurds likely had some sort of medical training and detected a virus in the computer. therefore they gave it the prescribed number of shots to vacinate it. no need to have the computer suffer. thankfully you were healthy and did not require treatment.

."Why would she want to visit Israel after visiting several arab countries?hmmmm. very suspicious indeed!!!!" .Hello,you morons!Anybody home inside your pinheads?Did it ever occur to you that is impossible to do the opposite?I met dozens of jewish and non-jewish tourists at israeli hostels,that came to visit Israel AFTER making a tour of Syria,Irak,Jordan BEFORE the peace agreement,and other less common tourism destinations.They all told me that they wanted to have a general view of the MEast,and for that they needed to visit Israel.Since these countries won"t allow anyone with an israeli stamp enter their territories,they are forced to leave the israeli leg of the tour to the end. .This incident is normally called abuse of power,very common among policemen also on the arab other side.The moment these guys have a badge and a weapon,they think they are gods.

ed) demonstrators were arrested this week during a demonstration and had to spefd 5 hours (5 h.) handcuffed and sitting on asfalt in near zero temperature(many soiled their undergarments ,not allowed to go to toilet) waiting for being transported to jail . Then all of them except less than 10 were released by police. So who is paranoid ,Tony Silver?

That's what my friends and I did. The U.S. State Department is well aware of Israel's racist policies and they will issue you a second passport if you tell them you have stamps from countries Israel doesn't like (which is just about every country) so you can arrive in Israel with a "clean" passport.

This is no surprise; Israeli borders are a nightmare for anyone traveling in the region. Me and a friend traveled from Turkey to Egypt earlier this year and we had no problems at any Arab borders, no questions, just "Welcome!". We waited *6 hours* at the King Hussein/Allenby crossing into Israel, with the border guards (most of them under 20) asking the same questions about 50 times. The best question: "What's a surname?" They honestly had no idea what they were doing.

It used to be that if one visited Israel, one could ask to not have one's passport stamped -- one might want to avoid hostility if one subsequently visited Arab countries. It sounds like it's time to see if it can be done the other way round.

I don't think that the Israeli police have a choice. It's good that they are careful and the girl will be compensated for her loss.

From some of these comments this treatment is far too common. And from some of these comments, Israel has become xenophobic in its treatment of visitors.

Fredy Ross, So now you justify this act from Israel by saying surrounding Arabic countries do worse? This is truly pathitic.

G, you can make all the excuses you want, but she didn't leave her laptop anywhere. She was trying to clear customs and it was with her. They also knew who it belonged to because they told her they were going to "blow it up." These airport security people sound like brainless thugs. It's one thing to exercise caution with abandoned luggage and another thing to deliberately destroy the property of someone who is standing right in front of you and who obviously poses no threat; otherwise, why give her back her hard drive and the computer and let her go? No, this was sheer thuggery.

I think the people on this forum making excuses for this behaviour are extremely ridiculous ! The girl did not pose any threat just by visiting countries in the region. For those of you idiots saying oh there was a bomb in the laptop, well so what they decided to shoot a bomb?

If they truly suspected she was dangerous why would they have let her keep her hard drive? From a security standpoint that's just dangerous. And the whole decision to just shoot her laptop because it allegedly posed a threat makes no sense at all, as others have pointed out here. No, this was all about punishing her for living in an Arab country and showing what looked like too much interest in or sympathy for Palestinians. This was all about intimidation and repression. An American non-Jew, I was raised to admire Israel and support its existence as the only democracy in the Middle East, but over the past few decades I have watched the dream of Israeli democracy die as Israel becomes gradually more authoritarian, brutal, and corrupt.

...your "half of the story" is not grounded on anything but on the suspicions the border police had - the suspicions which proved baseless. Naturally, to know that you need to read the article you are commenting next time. "I would like to know what exactly alerted security and exactly why this woman with no knowledge or apparent interest wants to go to Israel" I can give you a plausible reason. Prepare yourself. Sightseeing. Absolute majority of my friends who came to visit me to Israel had no knowledge of Israel which is precisely why they came to see it. I know it can be hard to understand it. To be sure, throughout my israeli years I learned to keep in sight my guests upon their leaving and going through the most idiotic Ben-Gurion security check-up. Nearly every time I had to approach the officers to help the situation, and even then it would take ages of humiliating procedures and unreasonable questions like what the person felt in her heart while being at the Wailing Wall.

One thing you should not do in Israel, is leave your luggage or a bag lying around If you do, Don`t be surprised that a policeman will announce that they are going to blowup a suspicious object with the police robot! This happens to Israelis too, who forget to get their bag off the bus, or leave it accidentally in the bus station. If our history would have not consist of Arab terrorists leaving bombs on buses, maybe her laptop would have been still intact, that is the sad truth!

Transference or misdirect?

One thing you should not do in Israel, is leave your luggage or a bag lying around If you do, Don`t be surprised that a policeman will announce that they are going to blowup a suspicious object with the police robot! This happens to Israelis too, who forget to get their bag off the bus, or leave it accidentally in the bus station. If our history would have not consist of Arab terrorists leaving bombs on buses, maybe her laptop would have been still intact, that is the sad truth!

bosom) pawed at Arlanda Aiport(Stockholm) by security personnel ,not necessarily women ,not satisfied with metal detectors alone. Security personnel acts correctly ,the hurt feelings and the precious computer are nothing compared to costs of overlooking the suspected danger

Would they have shot a PC? I wonder. Good material for a new Mac commercial.

israelis seems day after day more paranoid and fear their own shadow thanks to their government terrorist policy

than meets the eye, are clueless. Border control and customs in Israel can be out control and random. It gives visitors a terrible impression of the country and they never return.

The people who assume the guard acted correctly might want to check it out.

The anti-Israeli political bent, the meeting with extremist groups in Syria, the "Fuck the Jews" picture on her cell phone. Add that to the passport stamps, the Palestinian guidebook, and the map, and you get seroius concern from any border guard.

From the UK had a similar experience when flying from Eilat to Tel Aviv. They questioned her for an hour then took her thin canvas bag and handbag (which had sentimental value) and gave her all her things in Laundary bag. Her bags were never returned,I was ashamed of how she was treated when she turned up in Tel Aviv and told me.

Whats the point of shooting the laptop. I am confused.

after travelling all africa for nearly 2 years then went to the middle east and when i got to the israeli border the security officers made me feel sorry for coming to israel. they check all my luggage with disrispect , put my stuff on the floor, nearly broke my camera , made me stupid questions, as if i was a criminal and kept me for several hours. i think murders in british prisons are treated better than a non jew tourist visiting israel.

"I am glad our border police are careful about what comes in and this girl learnt a lesson."FR You must be delirious, Ross? What lesson? What is she not to do next time? Carry laptop? Take socks and scarfs? Come to Israel?

In 2008 I arrived at BP ariport. There was a miscommunication between me and the customs. Really nothing special, I am Jewish and lived at that time in Israel. I was detained because no one wanted to let me go for NO reason. They didn't ( want to?) speak English. I ended up with pepperspray in my face after 4 hours being teased. Then a mananger came in and made a report. He was surprised that I was Jewish. There are some apes in Israel who do not know how to behave. I never had this behaviour at any aiport in the world and I have been to at least 100 plus.

I like all the responses from the denialists. Look if you have ever been to Israel than you know what security is like here. The woman has nothing extra to tell because sadly this is normal. Since when is shooting a laptop a solution to possible security issue pertaining to an electronic device. Come on just throw it out a high window, at least then you don't look like you really, really needed to squeeze off a round. Well at least we know how these security officers disarm bombs, open locked doors, or handle a missing tv remote.

What was she doing traveling to these Islamist countries in the region? Is she a convert to Islam and become a Jihadist-loose canon? The Police did the right thing to do what they did.

Lily you are lucky they did'nt shoot you ! But this just goes to show the paranoia that exists.

That's got to be one of the most moronic things I've ever heard. Almost as moronic as the pro-Israelis here desperately trying to justify cowboy behaviour. Let's face it. If you seriously think it's a bomb, you don't put three random bullets through it, which might or might not explode a bomb. If you seriously think the woman's got subversive or dangerous information on it, you keep the computer for evidence. This is what you do, if you're a bored Middle Eastern border guard who's having a bad day and who's decided he doesn't like the person he's dealing with. Can you seriously imagine a US or European border guard ever acting quite like that?

I live in Tel Aviv and my husband left a small suitcase by mistake at the back of our building when we went away for the weekend. the zappers were called and blew up the suitcase. Was I angry no. Haven't you noticed lately we don't have bombs all over the place. If they had manhandled her that would be a different matter. I am glad our border police are careful about what comes in and this girl learnt a lesson. Anyway the world is paranoid. Last year the Singapore police took a very expensive bottle of whisky from me on the way to Australia and didn't compensate me in any way. Terrorism has made everyone paranoid.

I know a Jewish female student who was living in Israel and decided to travel to Cairo carrying her laptop. When she went back to Israel the police kept her laptop for inspection, and it was sent to her 3 days later, but it was not blown up. This girl surely gave reasons to have her computer destroyed. She is going to get a reimbursement anyways.

Clearly there was something that tipped security off that this woman is a risk to our security. I'll bet her name comes up in the papers again, as an ISM trouble-maker who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Israel's security people are absolutely right to turn ISM people away at the border and scare them from coming back - naive, if well-intentioned, these arrogant and foolish young people ultimately defend terrorists as human shields, believing they're helping some professor or some such, as we've read before on Haaretz. We don't need more dead foreign 'human shields' and she should bless those officers' souls for the rest of her life if she manages to keep hers as a result of this.

No logic to this at all. If they really thought it was an explosive device, this would seem to be about the worst way to address it. If they were concerned about information she was carrying, why let her retrieve the hard drive? No, they just destroyed it because they didn't "approve" of her and they can get away with it. Fredy and Joss -- If Israel is going to claim its better than its neighbors ("the only democracy in the region") then it needs to start acting like it. "They do it too" does not excuse bad behavior like this.

simply put, you risk, no you are guaranteed, harassment when traveling through that many middle eastern countries then trying to enter Israel... just as you risk he same traveling from Israel into those Arab countries (if you can even get in, which in places like Suaid Arabia you wouldnt be able to with an Israeli stamp).

It is only half of the story, and that half is told by a woman with an ax to grind. I would like to know what exactly alerted security and exactly why this woman with no knowledge or apparent interest wants to go to Israel. Has it ever occurred to our usual Israel hating commenters that perhaps Israeli security knew something that we don't and this woman may nnot be telling the whole story?

It is only unbelievable when it happens to others.Wait enough , it will happen to you, then I will realy like to hear your opinion about suspicion of police and normal protocol. I wonder if you will be as reasonable then...

I know many young persons who travel to Israel, and she is the first one who came up with such an acquisitions. I can’t buy the story the way it has been told. Lily has something to hide, I think

These guys figured (probably correctly) that this woman was a radical left wing hater of Israel, who'd come to make trouble, and they didn't want her to feel too welcome. That doesn't justify it. The main damage is to Israel's reputation, when things like this get reported. Israelis tend to act with a high degree of independance and improvisation, and in these situations you need rules and regulations so these things don't happen.

I read her blog and she say hard drive is presumably Ok,so it s a MAC... so what s the problem only security reason

I think she learnt that you can be treated bad in the MidEast if you have the wrong stamps in your passport and this goes both ways.

I have never encountered any problems like these through my many flights into and out of Ben-Gurion airport. Probably this woman aroused the suspicion of Israeli security for some reason, and they simply followed protocol.

Sorry about your laptop, but that sounds like a good time!

My cousin sailed through the Suez and the Egyptian police smashed his radio, didn't apologise, didn't repair it.Here you retrieved your hard drive, will get a new computer and got an apology. Welcome to Israel and next time don't come through Taba unless you are with a group. You faired better than 3 Israelis who got beaten up on a flight to Jordan when another passenger decided they were Israeli. Too many terrorists come the way you did so you have learnt something.

There is no logic to this at all fine take her and question her, search her belongings and even the information on the computer if they are suspicious about something but this is a step to far and the police should be made to pay to replace the computer. An investigation is also needed as to what the police believed this woman had done or was planning to do and why they felt a need to destroy the computer.