What rights are you talking about GU?

There are a lot of things we *think* we are entitled to as 'rights' that are not at all rights.

Certain members of the security services at TLV and who run foreign stations have the authority, under the law, to inspect you to their satisfaction. If you do not wish to be inspected, you don't fly. They have an orange card explaining this if you want to press it.

Speaking from extensive personal experience, they really do care about trying to be as respectful and sensitive as possible for all passengers. They care a great deal about what they do, they have respect for the threat they face and they approach it from a responsible viewpoint. This is not a stupid $7 alternate to Mcdonalds job.

One time one of those 'human rights' yahoo kid told one of them that he was just like a nazi who pulls people out of the line at auschwitz to be put into the gas chambers. To a jew, this is an extremely sensitive and personal attack. He calmly replied to her: "Perhaps, but either way, you're going to walk out of here alive and well".

Rights. Does that include the "right" not to be treated differently on the basis of ethnicity/religion -- especially if it's one's own country? Does that include the "right" not to have stolen information -- violation of property rights and data protection laws, even and especially in other countries -- being used to wrongfully flag you on the basis of perceived ethnicity/religion? I could go on, but:

You have the right to the free practice of your religion. More intense questioning and search based on your religion is not against the law. It is a fact that the kind of people who are most likely to carry out terror attacks against El Al are Muslims between the ages of 18-40 and people with whom they are associated (girlfriends, etc).
People around here whine (with good reason) when grandma and granpa smith are SSSSS'd and given the 5th degree by the TSA. It helps to have this thing called JUDGEMENT, and LY knows who they are looking for.

You live in San Fran AND you have your head screwed on straight? Sir, I congratulate you ^ . Point very well made!

The El Al (and Israeli) haystacks aren't empty, so I can't blame them for doing what they do to try to find the ever-present needles.

The USA, on the other hand . . .

When the right to free practice of religion involves being harassed, abused, detained, imprisoned, tortured or killed for being a member of a religion, then Rights are being trampled on.

Just because someone can manufacture a justification, doesn't make something right. .... and "the security force's " judgement appears to be often flawed given the number of "fish" stopped and then released.

That we do not profile flyers for terroristic characteristics, and focus screening activities on those who fit the profile, is foolish and wasteful, IMO.

I can't remember the last time I took a trip (and that's at least weekly) without seeing someone ridiculous getting the full treatment. Think the once-every-10-years elderly couple. Or the woman with the baby.

Oh, comeon it's fun! Either it's the 90 year old who hasn't bathed since he was 75, or it's the kid that ran up to the parent during screening, so then I get to have a three year old stand feet spread while I pat him down - nothing makes me feel greater than when I'm doing that! [/sarcasm]

At whom are you leveling this criticism?

At those whom use self-admitted religion as a criteria to do to others as I said above.

In your mind, "terroristic characteristics" are what exactly? People with whose race/religion you don't identify/self-identify?

I'm not trying to be disrespectful GUWonder, but you've been tossing around a lot of hand grenades in this thread.

If you feel like discussing these issues with all of us, great. If not, then why are you bothering?

No hand grenades being tossed, claim as you may. As I said earlier:

.... that' why -- as indicated in my repeated quote in this thread -- I don't always "bother".

I discussed to the extent I wished, but then some wanted to go fishing and complained when I didn't go along.

... that's what I get for "playing along 'with all of us'".

But you ARE bothering.

Always.

If you (or anyone) ARE bothered -- by fickle choice -- c'est la vie. I certainly will not always bother as