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On October 8th, I had my computer fixed by a professional from ZCS for NIS650. On that evening, I arrived at Ben Gurion airport for a 12:30AM flight (219G) to Los Angeles via Stansted, London to begin a one-month speaking tour. My round trip ticket cost $1034 from Zion Tours Jerusalem. I checked in and went upstairs to passport control. Several security officers pulled me out of line and brought me to the security office, refusing to give any explanation for their actions. They began making a series of phone calls and internal communications. I asked repeatedly why they were detaining me, and explained that I had a flight and a connection to catch. They replied that they were unauthorized to give me any information. I felt a cluster of airport personnel staring at me as I was escorted downstairs. It was most humiliating. One of the airport workers uttered "traitor" as I walked by. I was taken down to an interrogation room and given a full body search (not a strip search). The searchers were polite but refused to answer my repeated questions, speaking in code among themselves. I asked who was in charge, and why I’m on their list of enemies, but received no answer. They comprehensively checked through my bags, every single business card, every CD, every Q-tip, and every pen.

Finally I met the boss. I was informed that they needed to take my computer to test for explosives and told that the test would take 24 hours. I told them to do their checking in front of me! Three hours later, she notified me that I had missed my flight, "I can’t answer your questions. We are just following orders. You can forget about us. You decide what to do now." What choice was I offered? Even as a citizen I was unable to speak with a lawyer first, or with a representative from the American embassy. This private property, with a value of nearly $1600, included all of my speeches, files, programs, a powerpoint presentation, maps, contacts and critical information which I needed for the tour was confiscated by the state, and there was not a single thing I could do. The head security woman at El Al told me to file a claim for my computer at lost and found as soon as I arrive in London, (not in L.A.) and handed me a zeroxed form that reads:

“Due to security necessities, further checks will be required. As a consequence, the shipment of your article will be delayed. In order to complete the procedure, once you arrive at your final destination, address your self to the airline’s “lost and found” counter. Fill a standard airline “lost baggage complaint form, and submit your personal details, so you may receive the item within a few days. Keep the enclosed receipt, you will be required to present it.”

No information was filled out on this receipt, no article number, reference number or date. In fact, no information was filed at all about the check that was performed on my computer.

Blurred Boundaries Between Israel Security for El Al and El Al
I decided to cooperate, realizing that I had an event in the States to attend and couldn’t just protest this confiscation in the middle of the night and hope to achieve anything. They began their procedures and released me. At this point the security officers were profusely apologetic and sent me through the VIP diplomatic passport control. They arranged another flight for me at 9AM, with a connection from London to L.A. They also tried to get me into the EL AL first class passenger lounge for a cup of tea, as I would now need to spend the entire night in the airport. However, after waiting over 2 hours, it was nearly 4AM, El Al did not agree to have me in their lounge. “We’re not to blame for your inconvenience, Israel Security is responsible.” The airport duty manager did bring me a sandwich and a drink. I was extremely cold sitting in the waiting area throughout the night. I felt scared, humiliated and outraged. I felt terrorized being treated as one who aids terrorists, not one who merely dissents with the policies of Sharon’s government.

Eleven hours after I arrived at Ben Gurion, I flew to London. Upon arrival I went straight to El Al to file a lost baggage claim (as I was directed to do from the head Israeli security woman). We arrived nearly 2PM. There was no one to file a report with, the desk was closed. This took all of 10 minutes to check. In the process, I missed my connecting flight in London via Virgin Atlantic. The gate was closed one hour before departure, at 2PM, and I arrived at 2:25PM to the gate for the 3:05PM departure to L.A., my final destination. Their next flight was the following afternoon. I had an event to attend that next day and therefore had to purchase an additional ticket through United to arrive on time. That ticket cost me $1200.

I arrived in L.A. on October 10th. My luggage was lost, my computer confiscated, my body sick with all the tension, feeling frazzled, and fearful. How can I effectively be on a national speaking tour without my files, or my clothes? I received my computer only 5 days later, not 24 hours later as had been promised at the airport by the security personnel. When the computer arrived, the hard drive was irreparably damaged. I lost my essential data. While in the States I had my computer fixed. For $350, technical experts from N.J. were able to order a new hard drive and reinstall programs on it, necessarily reformatting and reconfiguring my entire computer.

My bags were “lost” once inside the U.S. on internal flights, leaving me to understand that now a perceived threat to the security of Israel makes me a perceived threat to the U.S. I packed all my belongings into a back-pack and continued the speaking tour without putting any luggage under the plane for the remainder of the trip in the U.S.

I flew to London to speak at the House of Commons. At Stamsted airport on the morning of November 7th, I arrived early at 4AM as one of the first passengers for an 8:10AM flight. Once on line, I was questioned in standard form and then stopped by El Al security apparatus, and questioned by the Head of Security, Ron, in front of all the other passengers on line. This again, is a very humiliating experience! He invited me into the back room after nearly one hour of harassing me in front of the line. He proceeded to tell me that I cannot fly into Israel with my computer, it must fly to Heathrow to be checked for explosives. These are his orders, and he cannot tell me who gives him these orders. He was also unable to track down from Ben Gurion security the evidence he needed to prove that my computer had just been checked just one month ago. The security team in Israel apparently forgot to record the serial number and express service code he might have been able to use to avoid having to confiscate my computer again for the second time on my one-month trip outside of Israel. Some of this is blatant disregard for civil rights, some of it is mere stupidity.

I told Ron “I refuse to give my computer to El Al security.” He replied, “Then we cannot let you fly to Israel. These are our rules.”

Not seeing any choices, I gave my computer to El Al, and swore to sue this company, and the Mossad, so this will never happen to another activist again.

Again, my luggage was checked extensively, and during the process a small barrette with sentimental value was lost. The people were careless and disorganized, checking my bag without gloves. My unused Virgin Atlantic ticket (#0007X) from London to L.A. was literally seized from my hands by an El Al Security worker, saying he needed it, as they receive rebates for turning in these tickets! After over two and half hours of detainment, Ron walked me to board the flight, I was the last one to board the plane, and I was without my computer, and without a receipt for my computer. I was told to report to “lost and found” upon my arrival to Ben Gurion. With due prompting, I was able to receive a hand written receipt on a blank piece of paper. Five days later my computer arrived to my home in Jerusalem.

All receipts are available.

“This is a security announcement. Please keep your eye on your baggage. All baggage left unattended will be confiscated by security.”

My attended baggage was confiscated by security.

This case will be taken on by ACRI. To help fight this injustice before other it happens to many other colleagues / friends, please write back and let us know if anyone you know has been criminalized and would like to prosecute. Also, anyone with legal advice to donate, I really need help obtaining the money I lost on the ticket and the computer repair.