My recent exit from Israel proved to be harder than I expected for a very simple reason: I had not shaved throughout my ten days of vacation. Despite my American name and passport, my long facial hair meant special attention when checking in at Ben Gurion airport.
I had already been surprised by their system at the checkpoint for cars entering the airport to drop-off passengers. A uniformed security guard stops the vehicle and asks one question: where are you coming from? After the answer he lets the car in or pulls it aside. I asked the person driving my car how does that work to spot potential terrorists. His answer: the guard just wants to see your accent in Hebrew.
Then came the check-in ordeal. A youngster of little more than 21 made me a battery of questions. Why are you here? How long have you been here? Do you speak Hebrew? How did you learn what you know? Is it your first time? Not to mention he asked me at least three times my name and date of birth to see if I got confused.
You have to give it to them that they are serious about security. But when the person checking my identity walked away with my passport and took almost 15 minutes to reappear, I started to get annoyed. That was when my companion called the beard issue to my attention.
I got comfort when I saw another security person grill a couple of old people who were as American as you get - yes, they were southern, were strongly built, to put it nicely, and the clear hypertension they suffered from gave their skin, and necks, a distinct red color. But then I noticed that the same couple was accompanied by a guide of sorts who looked - you guessed - Arab.
I know they have their reasons. But coming from a country in which during 25 years of dictatorship you could be interrogated by the police just for walking around in groups bigger than three people, I cannot agree with Israel's methods.
I do not mean to pretend that I can teach Israel how to maintain its security tight. But I do wish they were more scientific about their screening and stuck to bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors.
I am sorry to say, but it reminded me of the racial profiling Jews suffered during the second world war.
