Reality Bites: “I’ve Totally Binned That ‘Good Guy, Bad Guy’ thing I had in my head”
A Dutch journalist is held up for a few hours at the airport on her way into Israel for security checks and already, in her head, she’s writing the story of how bad it must be for a Palestinian. But then reality bites. Read the whole thing, extracts below.
Five hours at Tel Aviv airport BY NICOLIEN DEN BOER IN ISRAEL
It’s 4 a.m. at Tel Aviv Airport and this is the third time I’ve been questioned so far. My passport has stamps from various Arab countries: Dubai, Yemen and archenemy Syria. Finally I get my passport back and am allowed to enter.
If they treat me, a Dutch woman like this, what’s it like for a Palestinian? I’d started going on about getting the Dutch embassy involved. I even rang them up – they were closed, of course. But a Palestinian wouldn’t have any embassy to call. I’m trying not to think in simplistic terms of ‘good guy, bad guy’, but it’s difficult.
I save my complaint for the government press office in Jerusalem, where I go to pick up my press card the next day. “Security measures,” is the explanation I get from the press officer, a tired looking woman by the name of Pnina Aizenman. “What do you think it’s like for us, waking up each morning and never knowing what the day will bring?” she says, clearly referring to Palestinian suicide attacks on Israeli civilians.
While Pnina’s busy getting my press card ready, I take a look at the photos of children and a newspaper article on the wall behind me. The article is about a woman who lost her mother and her five-year-old child in a Palestinian suicide bombing. The name of the woman is Pnina Aizenman. I get the shivers. “That’s you,” I stammer. “Yes. Do you understand now what I mean by security measures?” she replies. I suddenly feel ashamed that I’ve just been complaining about being kept waiting for five hours when this woman’s life has been totally wrecked by a bomb. (Radio Netherlands)
About the Author
Brian of London is not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy. Since making aliyah in 2009, Brian has blogged at Israellycool. Brian's interests include world peace and an end to world hunger.Besides blogging here, Brian of London now writes for PJ Media. Brian of London also hosted Shire Network NewsFiled Under: Uncategorized
I will never forget the terrible case. The little girl’s name was Gal, she was cute child with a beaming smile on her face.
I notice that I remember many, many victims of terror, especially children, their names and faces.
We must never ever forget them.
Now, will this journalist do the right thing and report on how senseless the terrorism is? Methinks not.
nuf sed
is there anythying more stupid than a european?
do you really need this conversation to realize what that security measures are for? and this is the honest journalist, how would be the dishonest
I was also detained at the airport and told that I would not be allowed to leave the country unless I take out an Israeli passport. It was around 8:30PM, my wife and I went through the security checks and at the passport control they told my wife that she can leave the country but I cannot.
The issue was that I traveled with my American passport. I have been a citizen of the US for almost 30 years and traveled extensively in the world for business and pleasure including Israel and then suddenly I was reminded that 30 years ago I held an Israeli passport and I cannot leave without it. After being escorted to the police station and to various offices and forced to pay 450 shekels ($135), a new Israeli passport was issued to me, stamped and allowed to leave. Was this also for security reasons or just harassment?
Tiberiu, similar laws are on the books in almost every country worldwide.
The general rule is that if you are a citizen of a country, you must have a valid passport of your country of citizenship when arriving to or departing that country.
This is very common and not at all unique to Israel. It is neither harrassment nor specifically for security reasons.