<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by usoftie:
From my observations of the checkin areas in Tel Aviv, opening suitcases is the exception, not the rule. Asking everyone a series of directed questions that WORK is the rule. Of course, based on the answers, I do not doubt that they take you into a booth and search everything and question you more seriously. But they can't do this to everyone, and they are pretty smart about who they pinpoint.</font>
Precisely. I think that is a common misconception that the Israeli agents routinely open bags, and are draconian about carryon items. They do not, and they are not. As you point out, they are much wiser than that, and realize that it is the person, and not a potential weapon, that is the real threat.