Racial profiling in Israel

Racial profiling in Israel refers to the extensive system of racial profiling used in Israel, primarily by Israeli security forces. Racial profiling is commonly defined as the use of race, ethnicity, religion or nationality as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense.[1]

Racial profiling in Ben Gurion Airport

In 1972, terrorists from the Japanese Red Army launched an attack that led to the deaths of at least 24 people at Ben Gurion Airport. Since then, security at the airport has relied on a number of fundamentals, including a heavy focus on what Raphael Ron, former director of security at Ben Gurion, terms the "human factor", which he generalized as "the inescapable fact that terrorist attacks are carried out by people who can be found and stopped by an effective security methodology."[2] As part of its focus on this so-called "human factor," Israeli security officers interrogate travelers using racial profiling, singling out those who appear to be Arab based on name or physical appearance.[3] Additionally, all passengers, including those who do not appear to be of Arab descent, are questioned as to why they are traveling to Israel, followed by several general questions about the trip in order to search for inconsistencies.[4] Although numerous civil rights groups have demanded an end to the profiling, the Israeli government maintains that it is both effective and unavoidable. According to Ariel Merari, an Israeli terrorism expert,[5] "it would be foolish not to use profiling when everyone knows that most terrorists come from certain ethnic groups. They are likely to be Muslim and young, and the potential threat justifies inconveniencing a certain ethnic group."[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Racial Profiling". nij.gov. January 10, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ SecuritySolutions.com What can we learn from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to help push aviation security in the U.S. to the next level?
  3. ↑ International Herald Tribune, Israeli airport security order dancer to prove identity with dance steps, September 9, 2008
  4. ↑ Volokh.com Airport Security in Israel, November 27, 2007
  5. ↑ Lee, Dave (2010-11-17). "New study delves inside a suicide bomber's mind". BBC News. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Rights group challenges Israel's airport security". Associated Press. March 19, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2011.


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