theodp writes “A few days ago, the Toronto Star reported that security experts point to ‘Israelification’ as a possible cure for what ails North America’s security-paralyzed airports. That is, how can we make our airports more like Israel’s, which deal with far greater terror threat with far less inconvenience. ‘It is mindboggling for us Israelis to look at what happens in North America, because we went through this 50 years ago,’ said Rafi Sela, president of a transportation security consultancy. Unless a more sensible approach to security is adopted, Sela warned that North American airports could be crippled by needless airport evacuations. As if to prove his point, Newark Liberty International Airport — which is planning to unleash $160,000 high-tech full-body scanners on travelers to improve security — had to be evacuated Sunday night and flights were grounded after a man walked the wrong way through a screening checkpoint exit to enter the secured side of a terminal. Looks like we may owe Mr. Sela an I-told-you-so on this one.”
I had seen the Toronto Star article when it came out, and it’s definitely worth reading. It does appear that the Israelis are a lot more focused on security that works, rather than security theater — though I don’t think any security system is foolproof. I do think that there’s a lot to what Sela says at the end of the article as to why the TSA hasn’t followed Israel’s lead:
“We have a saying in Hebrew that it’s much easier to look for a lost key under the light, than to look for the key where you actually lost it, because it’s dark over there. That’s exactly how (North American airport security officials) act,” Sela said. “You can easily do what we do. You don’t have to replace anything. You have to add just a little bit — technology, training. But you have to completely change the way you go about doing airport security. And that is something that the bureaucrats have a problem with. They are very well enclosed in their own concept.”
As for the question on “full body scans,” while not mentioned in the article, it’s worth noting that Israeli airport security apparently doesn’t use such machines either. I saw an interview recently with an Israeli security expert, who said that using such machines (the ones that allow screeners to effectively see travelers naked) would create a much bigger mess, as traditional and religious men would become incredibly offended at screeners seeing their wives naked.
The key difference in the two systems is that the US (and most others) seem intent on scanning what you’re bringing on the plane. The Israelis are a lot more interested in who you are and how you act.
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