What it’s like to be profiled

This weekend was, I believe, my fifth visit to Israel since October 2006. Before that first visit I was very nervous, having impressions about the country based on the violence that we hear in the news about markets being blown up and other terrorist attacks or attempts. In truth, there’s very little petty crime and every time I travel there I have a good time.  The beaches are beautiful, the food is great, and the people of Tel Aviv seem to have a very relaxed approach to life.

My problem with Tel Aviv is leaving; not because it’s hard to leave since it’s a nice city to visit, but because I’ve been profiled by airport security at Ben Gurion Airport.

After being made to go through the airport’s extra security procedures the first time, my Israeli colleagues suspected that it was because I’m a female traveling alone, and apparently there was a problem once with some female tourists who accepted a package they shouldn’t have. So it wasn’t odd to me that they had “randomly” selected me out of all the other single female travelers and subjected me to extra searches.

When it happened the second, third, and fourth time I became freaked out. This now is no longer random – they’ve spotted something about my white, brunette, petite, American self and decided I am a risk. By this point I’d gotten used to the extra security line and, while frustrated, didn’t think much about it.  After all, the Israelis have a right to protect their country and have developed an organized airport check-in process which allows them to be quite effective at this task.

Yesterday was different.  Yesterday, I was treated like a criminal even though I’d done nothing wrong.  Yesterday, I was brought to the dreaded “back room”. And I never want to go to Israel again.

Here’s how it happened.  If you’re going to Israel, read and consider yourself prepared.

Initial screening: My male colleague and I arrived to the airport 2.5 hours early, at 5am. I’d been awake since 3am and had not yet eaten or had my orange juice (both essential for clear thinking).  We stood in line, where our passports are checked we’re asked basic questions:
- Where are you going?
- Are you traveling together?
- How many days have you been in Israel?
- Where did you stay?
- What was the purpose of your visit?
- Did anyone give you anything?

Airport security puts a sticker on each of our passports.  This sticker indicates the level of threat they perceive you to be based on your appearance and answers to these questions. I knew I was in for it when I was given a different sticker than my colleague.

First Baggage X-Ray: Both my colleague and I put our bags through the x-ray. His go first, and he’s told to proceed to the airline’s check-in desk. My laptop is removed from my bag, put in some kind of special box, and then through the x-ray. When it came out, the machine attendant started pointing to my bag and the laptop, and brought his colleague over to look at it. They give me my bags and ask me to proceed to baggage search.

Baggage Search: This is a huge set of counters in the main section of the airport’s entrance. Many people are put through this process; there is always a line. All of my bags are opened and rifled through. Electronics (including the laptop) are pulled out, and security uses a wand with a piece of fabric on the end to run over all pieces of electronics and inside all bag pockets. They then place this wand in a machine, which determines if something unsavory is on the fabric. I don’t know what “unsavory” is, exactly – I suspect drugs, or traces of explosives. My bags are returned to me, and I proceed to the airline counter, receive my boarding pass, and check my luggage.

Second Baggage X-ray: At the next station, my colleague and I show our passports and are directed into two different lines.  I lose him at this point, and go through the next station at which my carry-on luggage is scanned, and the wand is used again. The guy’s really slow about so I’m antsy about making my flight, tired, and still hungry. After he rubs the wand over my laptop’s keyboard and puts it in a machine, the machine beeps. Shit. This can’t be good. A manager comes over and a new barrage of questions begin: why I was in Istanbul, why I have a Christmas ornament from Vienna (hello! I was just there and I’m sure he knew it, since he knew about Istanbul), who I was meeting in Istanbul. He wanted to see business cards (which I didn’t have, since I met these people years ago and don’t have their cards with me) notes from my meetings (on the laptop!), and information about my colleague – did we share a room? NO! And many more questions. “You look nervous, why are you nervous?” Of course I’m nervous – there’s something weird on my laptop that I don’t know about. Everything about me is the same as my trip to Tel Aviv in April – same computer, same bag, same camera, converters, chargers….What’s going on??? Next, “Ma’am you have to come with me.”

Extreme Baggage Search: Ok, totally crying at this point. Think I’m gonna miss my plane. Exhausted, hungry, thirsty. No idea what I’ve done wrong or why this is happening to me, and everybody’s speaking in Hebrew. I’m brought back out to the main baggage search area.  The entire contents of my carry-on bags are dumped on the counter. All pockets are emptied, including my wallet and the bag carrying tampons, pads, and other embarrassing essentials. They run the wand over absolutely everything in my bags, and have more questions about my electronics. They view everything as a potential weapon. At this point, I am mortified and crying. They tell me I can’t take my computer on the plane, that they have to put it in the cargo hold. Why? I still have no idea. It’s not clear to me if I can take anything with me, even a book.

The Back Room: They tell me I have to go through the metal detctor again. Ok, not so bad, right? Two young women (probably no older than 20) lead me away to a non-descript door with a key-card entry, and I enter the “back room”.  It’s large, there are a few other travelers there, but I’m too distraught to notice much else. They bring me to a corner where there are two curtains that they draw around me, like in a hospital. Total panic sets in; I’m sure I’m about to be strip-searched. My thin, straight hair was pulled back into a tight pony-tail, and they have me remove the elastic. One girl runs her fingers all through my hair. What could they possibly be looking for??? Shoes off, arms out. One girl rubs her hands inside the collar of my shirt, all over my body, inside the waistband of my jeans, while the other runs the metal detector wand all over me. My blazer and coat are taken away. Shoes off, and one of them feels around all under the legs of my jeans. When they’re convinced I’m not hiding anything, they bring me back to the baggage search area. My clothes remained on but I felt totally exposed, undignified, and humiliated.

To the plane: My passport and belongings are given back to me. Another young female security officer gives me my laptop & laptop bag, all bubble-wrapped and boxed, and escorts me to the plane in a golf cart.  She was the only one who was remotely compassionate – she drew a little flower on the box and spoke to me calmly and comfortingly as we rode to the gate.

Bottom Line: I respect the thoroughness of the Israeli security procedures; they have a job to do to protect their country and other travelers, and the airport process is very well organized.  The security force is generally cold and unsympathetic (but not cruel), which is a necessity but is incredibly hard to take when you know that you’ve done nothing to deserve the treatment. I just wish I knew why I get flagged every time – is it my clothes, face, body, demeanor, or luggage? Has someone stolen my identity? What was on my laptop and how in the world did it get there? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Until I have an answer, if I can avoid Israel without losing my job, I will. I can’t risk being put through that stress again. I’m sad, angry and frustrated because I like the country and there’s so much more of it I want to see.

I don’t know what it’s like to be back-roomed by American security, but I can now empathsize with the Middle Eastern male student who’s never so much as gotten a parking ticket let alone participated in a terrorist group. While profiling is often a necessity to ensure protection, it’s a terrible feeling to be the innocent person who is profiled. I can’t help but wonder if while they were spending time with me, they missed someone worth catching.