They need to start training TSA agents like they do in Israel

[Very_Boring_Name]

I actually had a discussion with one of my professors a few years ago about this. He used to work in Israel, and would frequently fly back and forth. He said that in Israel, they focus on behavioural profiling in identifying threats. They're specifically trained to detect suspicious behaviour. Not only is this completely non intrusive, it actually appears to be more effective. Considering the middle eastern conflict, you'd think that the bombing/hijacking of an Israeli plane would be extremely prevalent... yet there have been virtually none. Just a thought.

[pinto]

1. Good points.

:hi:

[iamjoy]

2. They Profile In Israel

Israel is quite un-abashed about profiling - be it racial or ethnic. Are we willing to tolerate that?

[slackmaster]

3. There's nothing wrong with profiling if it's done properly

Groping a 61-year-old white US citizen who is wearing a urostomy bag is a waste of time.

[Very_Boring_Name]

4. Behavioural profiling is neither racial nor ethnic, so I don't really understand what your post is

about.

[iamjoy]

6. It's Not Just Behavioral

the profiling is Israel is not just behavior. It is based on country of origin, religion, etc. An Jewish Israeli is questioned less thoroughly than a non-Jewish visitor or even an Israeli Arab. They may receive additional questioning.

So, while behavioral is a component of the profiling done by Israel, so is looking at a person's religion, nationality, group, etc.

[Very_Boring_Name]

8. Great article from mother jones undermining your claim

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/11/israelification

The first layer of actual security that greets travellers at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport is a roadside check. (1) All drivers are stopped and asked two questions: How are you? Where are you coming from? "Two benign questions. The questions aren't important. The way people act when they answer them is," Sela said. Officers are looking for nervousness or other signs of "distress" — behavioural profiling.

....Once you've parked your car or gotten off your bus, you pass through the second and third security perimeters. (2) Armed guards outside the terminal are trained to observe passengers as they move toward the doors, again looking for odd behaviour. (3) At Ben Gurion's half-dozen entrances, another layer of security are watching. At this point, some travellers will be randomly taken aside, and their person and their luggage run through a magnometer.

....You are now in the terminal. (4) As you approach your airline check-in desk, a trained interviewer takes your passport and ticket. They ask a series of questions: Who packed your luggage? Has it left your side? "The whole time, they are looking into your eyes — which is very embarrassing. But this is one of the ways they figure out if you are suspicious or not. It takes 20, 25 seconds," said Sela.

....(5) At the check-in desk, your luggage is scanned immediately in a purpose-built area....The screening area is surrounded by contoured, blast-proof glass that can contain the detonation of up to 100 kilos of plastic explosive all the screening areas contain 'bomb boxes'. If a screener spots a suspect bag, he/she is trained to pick it up and place it in the box, which is blast proof. A bomb squad arrives shortly and wheels the box away for further investigation.

....(6) You now finally arrive at the only one which Ben-Gurion Airport shares with — the body and hand-luggage check....It's fast — there's almost no line. That's because they're not looking for liquids, they're not looking at your shoes. They're not looking for everything they look for in North America. They just look at you," said Sela. "Even today with the heightened security in North America, they will check your items to death. But they will never look at you, at how you behave. They will never look into your eyes ... and that's how you figure out the bad guys from the good guys."

== ==

[avaistheone1]

9. They do not do racial profiling in Israel.

They do psycho graphic profiling. And it works! In thirty years no Israeli airliner has never been shot out of the sky.

Amazing they don't have do take pictures of people's naked bodies or radiate them, or even grope their genitals.

We have a lot to learn.

[ixion]

5. Yeah, we should follow the patterns of a rogue state

good idea. :eyes:

[Very_Boring_Name]

7. I had a falafel for lunch today

Shame on me for following the patterns of a rogue state :eyes:

[ixion]

12. my, what a poor comparison

how umimpressive. Israel didn't invent falafel.

[Very_Boring_Name]

13. Iranians eat them

By your logic, doing the same would be "following the example of a rogue state"

[ixion]

14. Once again, your analogy fails, and in fact you define why it fails.

Falafel and Israel are unrelated. In fact, falafel is Arabic, not Judaic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel

[avaistheone1]

10. I see and America is not a rogue state?

How about our preemptive illegal wars, use of depleted uranium, undermining of other country's democracies?

Israel's procedures sounds much better than the degrading and humiliating treatment of porno scanners and genital groping we are treated to at US airports (which violates even our own Constitution).

[ixion]

11. Actually, it is

Since it illegally invaded Iraq.

[Scurrilous]

15. Great idea!

'I may never return to Israel'

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3988184,00.html

Australian tourist writes open letter to Israelis about her experience with airport security. 'I never want to go through that again even if it means not coming back to Israel,' she says