What Israel can teach the world about security

[Wall-E1]

You're right. Guess I meant in more modern times....not forty something years ago. Technology. Forty years ago, the US didn't even have established security procedures. In 1966, my first flight, I walked up to the counter, bought a ticket, and got on the plane. Didn't show anything at all. In 1989, DD had a r/t ticket LA to Denver, which was cheaper than a one-way ticket. We put an ad in the paper and sold to return portion to some college girl, because they still weren't checking IDs at that time. EL AL was certainly more secure than any US airport in 1989! As late as May, 2004, on my last trip from Atlanta to Cancun, we just went through regular X-ray security and only had to show our ticket and a DL. Upon leaving Mexico, every piece of luggage, including carry-ons and purses was hand-searched before check-in through X-ray. We were also hand-patted. Mexican airport security was certainly a lot better than US airport security at that time! I'm saying that US security still has a long way to go, and I'd feel much safer flying out of Israel than Atlanta!

I'm not saying that Israel's security is bad. They have good security. So do we. Do we need improvements? Sure we do. I don't feel that one country has bad security and one has good security. I just happen to feel safer with our security measures.

 

[DawnCt1]

Somehow, I have a different view of the article. I feel much safer with our security measures, flawed as they are. It seems the article is stating that the best defense is terminal employees looking passengers in the eyes and trying to profile them accurately. No thanks, I'll take our "naked x-ray" machines, bomb sniffing dogs and metal detecting machines over that any day of the week. I'm not saying that the profiling idea is bad. We currently have undercover agents at our airports who seek out suspicious behavior, but the profiling of suspicious behavior is only one aspect of security. I like our more high tech methods. There is no 100% solution, but I fail to see how Israel's airports are so much better than ours.

It is self evident. They haven't been hijacked or blown up. Israel looks for bombers, not just bombs. We need to shed the cloak of political correctness and take a closer look at the demographics or the passengers.

 

[DawnCt1]

In 1968, El Al experienced the first of many acts against the airline. On 23 July, the only successful hijacking of an El Al aircraft took place, when a 707 carrying 10 crew and 38 passengers was taken over by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The aircraft, El Al Flight 426, was en route from Rome to Lod. The hijackers diverted it to Algiers. Bargaining with the hijackers went on for 40 days. Both the hijackers and the passengers, including 21 Israeli hostages, were eventually freed.[15]

On 26 December of the same year, two PFLP members attacked an El Al aircraft at Athens Airport, killing an Israeli mechanic.[16] The Israeli Defense Forces responded on 29 December with a night-time raid on Lebanon's Beirut Airport, destroying 14 planes on the ground belonging to Middle East Airlines, Trans Mediterranean Airways and Lebanese International Airways.[17]

On 18 February 1969, Palestinians attacked an El Al plane at Zurich Airport killing the copilot and injuring the pilot. One Palestinian attacker was killed and others were convicted but later released.[18]

Between September and December 1969, bomb and grenade attacks occurred at El Al offices in Athens, West Berlin, and Brussels.[18]

This wave of violence culminated in the failed hijacking of an El Al 707 by Patrick Arguello and Leila Khaled on 6 September 1970, as part of the Dawson's Field hijackings.[19]

If you have to go back 40 years, you haven't made your case.

 

[Wall-E1]

If you have to go back 40 years, you haven't made your case.

Okay???

If someone makes a statement...

No EL AL plane has ever been hijacked or breached.

and I respond with...

In 1968, El Al experienced the first of many acts against the airline. On 23 July, the only successful hijacking of an El Al aircraft took place, when a 707 carrying 10 crew and 38 passengers was taken over by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The aircraft, El Al Flight 426, was en route from Rome to Lod. The hijackers diverted it to Algiers. Bargaining with the hijackers went on for 40 days. Both the hijackers and the passengers, including 21 Israeli hostages, were eventually freed.[15]

On 26 December of the same year, two PFLP members attacked an El Al aircraft at Athens Airport, killing an Israeli mechanic.[16] The Israeli Defense Forces responded on 29 December with a night-time raid on Lebanon's Beirut Airport, destroying 14 planes on the ground belonging to Middle East Airlines, Trans Mediterranean Airways and Lebanese International Airways.[17]

On 18 February 1969, Palestinians attacked an El Al plane at Zurich Airport killing the copilot and injuring the pilot. One Palestinian attacker was killed and others were convicted but later released.[18]

Between September and December 1969, bomb and grenade attacks occurred at El Al offices in Athens, West Berlin, and Brussels.[18]

This wave of violence culminated in the failed hijacking of an El Al 707 by Patrick Arguello and Leila Khaled on 6 September 1970, as part of the Dawson's Field hijackings.[19]

...which clearly details hijackings and security breaches in an easy to read timeline, that certainly doesn't make my case. What was I thinking?

 

[Wall-E1]

It is self evident. They haven't been hijacked or blown up. Israel looks for bombers, not just bombs. We need to shed the cloak of political correctness and take a closer look at the demographics or the passengers.

They have had hijackings, but in your head they happened too many years ago, so they cannot be counted.

Israel has good ideas on security, but we should not trash our methods. We should take what we like about theirs and incorporate them into ours.

 

[TiggerCat]

I'm not saying that Israel's security is bad. They have good security. So do we. Do we need improvements? Sure we do. I don't feel that one country has bad security and one has good security. I just happen to feel safer with our security measures.

Despite repeated warnings that he was dangerous an individual is able to sneak explosives onto a plane and you feel safe? Sorry, the TSA and Homeland Security are a joke in comparison to Israel's secuirty measures.

 

[Wall-E1]

One thing to consider also is that Israel has around 30 airports. That makes it a little easier to manage security. We have over 14,000 airports.

Again, I'm not saying their security is bad. It is good. I just don't think that ours is a "joke". The most recent security breach we had was an awful failure of security, but I don't think that means that our security system on a whole is worthless. We have some things to fix. This recent event was caused due to a lack of communication between various agencies. Hopefully, now that this flaw has been brought to light, new measures will be put in place to prevent a repeat of this incident.

 

[DawnCt1]

Okay???

If someone makes a statement...


and I respond with...



...which clearly details hijackings and security breaches in an easy to read timeline, that certainly doesn't make my case. What was I thinking?

They have had hijackings, but in your head they happened too many years ago, so they cannot be counted.

Israel has good ideas on security, but we should not trash our methods. We should take what we like about theirs and incorporate them into ours.

Forty years without a major incident is a pretty stellar record. I do agree that we should take their ideas and incorporate them into our procedures but that is unlikely considering adopting their ideas would be "politically incorrect".

 

[testifyoncruises]

Again, I'm not saying their security is bad. It is good. I just don't think that ours is a "joke". The most recent security breach we had was an awful failure of security, but I don't think that means that our security system on a whole is worthless. We have some things to fix. This recent event was caused due to a lack of communication between various agencies. Hopefully, now that this flaw has been brought to light, new measures will be put in place to prevent a repeat of this incident.

Absolutely everything about our security is a joke and nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It is theatre plain and simple to make those who do not travel that often feel "safer".

Nothing that the TSA in place would have and frankly will have in place until they make a fundamental change prevent incidents like what happened near Detroit. The guidelines hastily thrown together on December 26th were a complete and utter joke.

 

[Kim&Chris]

It is self evident. They haven't been hijacked or blown up. Israel looks for bombers, not just bombs. We need to shed the cloak of political correctness and take a closer look at the demographics or the passengers.

I agree with you 100%.

 

[1957]

They have had hijackings, but in your head they happened too many years ago, so they cannot be counted.

Israel has good ideas on security, but we should not trash our methods. We should take what we like about theirs and incorporate them into ours.

Our current methods just aren't good enough. Sounds like you're now changing your tune, though. Two successful hijackings/breaches forty years ago cannot begin to compare with the large number of successful ones on other (National and International airlines) over those many years. I'm not saying we should trash our methods, either. I am saying that our system needs updates and consistency. I flew out of BHM this past April, and two of the screeners were flirting with each other rather than watching the screens! The security line was short, and not many people were around. I did mention it to a Supervisor, who located the two pax who had been ahead of me for re-screening. Leaving PDX in early May, they did double screening of pax and carryons. Took forever, but I sure felt safer! And about the Christmas Day failed terrorist....what happened to the one-way ticket alert, especially when flying internationally? We want cheap fares, but don't want to pay for increased security.

 

[Wall-E1]

Forty years without a major incident is a pretty stellar record. I do agree that we should take their ideas and incorporate them into our procedures but that is unlikely considering adopting their ideas would be "politically incorrect".

What method of theirs would be considered by us to be "politically incorrect"?

And by the way, you are wrong. We do use many of their procedures already. We do have undercover agents that work in the airports and try to profile people by observing their behavior and accessing whether they are a threat based on their behavior.

 

[bavaria]

And about the Christmas Day failed terrorist....what happened to the one-way ticket alert, especially when flying internationally? We want cheap fares, but don't want to pay for increased security.

One way ticket purchases, in and of themselves, are not really that unusual. Many of us do the majority of our travel that way. After 9/11 those of us purchasing one way tickets for US domestic flights knew that we would automatically be marked SSSS and subject to secondary screening. Because it was so predicatable, someone planning harm would most likely avoid buying a one way ticket. That is why that process was stopped.

The same holds true for cash purchases; while in North America in 2009 the norm may be buying tickets online with a credit card, it isn't always so in much of the rest of the world. Remember, as little as ten years ago we too had airline 'city ticket offices' and typically purchased tickets via a travel agent, over the telephone, or at a city office. Even today I cannot actually pay for a ticket on line on the website of some major international carriers; I can book, but I have to ticket in person (and sometimes have to pay cash)

The combination of a number of factors is what was of concern, and the fact that so many factors were overlooked.

I am frankly relieved to see that this incident raised so much ire within the US (whether in the media or online) and I am relieved to see so many people acknowledging that the system needs review and revision.

I don't actually support an Israeli system but I do support the tight security we have in many international airlines around the world.

 

[Wall-E1]

Our current methods just aren't good enough. Sounds like you're now changing your tune, though. Two successful hijackings/breaches forty years ago cannot begin to compare with the large number of successful ones on other (National and International airlines) over those many years. I'm not saying we should trash our methods, either. I am saying that our system needs updates and consistency. I flew out of BHM this past April, and two of the screeners were flirting with each other rather than watching the screens! The security line was short, and not many people were around. I did mention it to a Supervisor, who located the two pax who had been ahead of me for re-screening. Leaving PDX in early May, they did double screening of pax and carryons. Took forever, but I sure felt safer! And about the Christmas Day failed terrorist....what happened to the one-way ticket alert, especially when flying internationally? We want cheap fares, but don't want to pay for increased security.

I'm not changing my tune, and I do basically agree with what you are saying. Our methods do need to be improved. Terrorists are always coming up with new ways to breach security and we must always make changes to stay ahead of them. No security system will ever be "good enough or "100%" I just happen to feel safe using U.S. airports.

 

[LisaR]

In 1968, El Al experienced the first of many acts against the airline. On 23 July, the only successful hijacking of an El Al aircraft took place, when a 707 carrying 10 crew and 38 passengers was taken over by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The aircraft, El Al Flight 426, was en route from Rome to Lod. The hijackers diverted it to Algiers. Bargaining with the hijackers went on for 40 days. Both the hijackers and the passengers, including 21 Israeli hostages, were eventually freed.[15]

On 26 December of the same year, two PFLP members attacked an El Al aircraft at Athens Airport, killing an Israeli mechanic.[16] The Israeli Defense Forces responded on 29 December with a night-time raid on Lebanon's Beirut Airport, destroying 14 planes on the ground belonging to Middle East Airlines, Trans Mediterranean Airways and Lebanese International Airways.[17]

On 18 February 1969, Palestinians attacked an El Al plane at Zurich Airport killing the copilot and injuring the pilot. One Palestinian attacker was killed and others were convicted but later released.[18]

Between September and December 1969, bomb and grenade attacks occurred at El Al offices in Athens, West Berlin, and Brussels.[18]

This wave of violence culminated in the failed hijacking of an El Al 707 by Patrick Arguello and Leila Khaled on 6 September 1970, as part of the Dawson's Field hijackings.[19]

El Al has only implemented their heightened security measures in the last 20 years. Since that point, they have only had one passenger make it onto a plane with a gun (and he wasn't a security threat and didn't cause any problems).

 

[Wall-E1]

Absolutely everything about our security is a joke and nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It is theatre plain and simple to make those who do not travel that often feel "safer".

Nothing that the TSA in place would have and frankly will have in place until they make a fundamental change prevent incidents like what happened near Detroit. The guidelines hastily thrown together on December 26th were a complete and utter joke.

Now you're just sounding like a conspiracy theorist. I'll make sure to wear my tin foil hat next time I travel. Thank you for the valuable information on our "smoke and mirrors" security network, Mr. airport security checker.

 

[Wall-E1]

El Al has only implemented their heightened security measures in the last 20 years. Since that point, they have only had one passenger make it onto a plane with a gun (and he wasn't a security threat and didn't cause any problems).

And that is great news. I hope we can say that in twenty years. Our job is a bit harder because of the increased number of airports and flights that we have to manage on a daily basis.

 

[bavaria]

'New' rules come into effect as of midnight tonight (just announced but I cannot yet find an official media link - will update if I do)

They only address inbound 'international' flights and seem to be just reinforcing existing checks already in place, and implementing new checks on passengers holding passports and/or travelling from certain countries.

Nothing to address domestic security.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31122.html#ixzz0ba6VdhU6

All travelers flying into the U.S. from foreign countries will receive tightened random screening, and 100 percent of passengers from 14 terrorism-prone countries will be patted down and have their carry-ons searched, the Obama administration was notifying airlines on Sunday.

 

[1957]

And that is great news. I hope we can say that in twenty years. Our job is a bit harder because of the increased number of airports and flights that we have to manage on a daily basis.

What, exactly, are the increased number of airports that "we" have to manage? US flight numbers have actually dropped, not increased, during the last couple of years....remember? Don't get your point here. Our job is a "bit" harder because we allowed four domestic flights to be hijacked on 9/11/01! And, we have - once again - become impatient and complacent.

 

[LisaR]

'New' rules come into effect as of midnight tonight (just announced but I cannot yet find an official media link - will update if I do)

They only address inbound 'international' flights and seem to be just reinforcing existing checks already in place, and implementing new checks on passengers holding passports and/or travelling from certain countries.

Nothing to address domestic security.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31122.html#ixzz0ba6VdhU6

I just read this on another site, as well. To this I say:

About time. I am very much in favor of metal detectors, scanners, bomb sniffing dogs, etc because we need multiple layers of security but I am also a firm believer in seeking out those that have the potential to cause the most harm.