Welcome to Israel: 'We had to blow up your laptop.'

Welcome to Israel. If you are an Arab/Muslim/human rights worker/UN official/supporter of the Palestinians will be hounded through costumes.

I recently spoke with a classmate who traveled to the occupied West Bank and, of course, landed in Tel Aviv. She is white and Jewish, was interrogated with repeated questions because the Israelis knew (or thought) that she was there to work on behalf of Palestinians. She told us about how they seek to tire you and discourage you from helping the Palestinians. She was finally freed after someone else spoke on her behalf. This is the norm in Tel Aviv District 9.

If you're an Arab you may be accused of terrorism before being let go...if you're let go. The intriguing airport could fill an encyclopedia. One of the most interesting I read today:

I was sitting on the deck overlooking the Red Sea. Israeli security officers (most who looked around 18 years old) had completed around two hours of questioning and searching me. They had pressed every sock and scarf with a security device, ripped open soap and had me strip extra layers. They asked me tons of questions–where are you going? Who do you know? Do you have a boyfriend? Is he Arab, Egyptian, Palestinian? Why do you live in Egypt? Why not Israel? What do you know about the ‘conflict’ here? What do you think? They quized me on Judaism,which I know nothing about.Moments later a man came outside and introduced himself as the manager on duty. And then, “I’m sorry but we had to blow up your laptop. “ What….all my client case notes and testimony, writing, pictures, music and applications. Years of work. NO!!!! What?? Are you insane?? What were you thinking? THAT’S ALL MY WORK!? After much yelling, crying and frantic phone dialing (don’t be alarmed if I called you repeatedly this morning), he took me outside to see the wreckage. It turned out it hadn’t been quite blown up, but rather shot through with three bullets. We were able to extract the hard drive, seemingly unscaved. Thank goodness…

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What a country!