The Ben Gurion airport in Israel
is known to be the safest airport in the world, but with this title also comes controversy. I read an article entitled “What They Don’tTell You About Israel’s Famously Tight Airport Security”. It explains a man named Chris Weller’s experience in the airport, and it was shocking to read. In the airport, an employee places a sticker on one’s luggage with a ten-digit number. The first number on the sticker, “ranging from one to six, indicates your perceived threat level to whomever else you’re passed along” (Weller 2). Weller explained that he received a 5, and thought that it was because he is not Jewish. The airport intentionally makes some people feel powerless – they are being judged when they just want to be treated and trusted like everyone else. Nobody should be seen as a “perceived threat” based on what they look like. Someone’s religion, race, ethnicity, gender, etc., should not be a tell-tale sign that someone is more dangerous than another.
Weller further explained that “no flight leaving Ben Gurion has ever been hijacked, and the airline servicing Israel, El Al, hasn’t seen an attack in more than 30 years” (Weller 3). Although the statistics prove it is the safest airport in the world, it is important to consider the limits in order to ensure this safety. Physically it is safe, which is a great thing. However, people that pass through feel oppressed and judged for characteristics they cannot control. In a way, this is making Weller, and many people, an “other” because of the separation from others based on the numbers they receive. He felt less important than the people that were being treated more fairly in the airport.
Moreover, there should be other ways to ensure safety in an airport without degrading others. Airport safety is a tricky situation because there are so many ways to go about it. However, the Ben Gurion airport should not be able to follow through with this discrimination. In reality, it is not realistic to tell someone’s morals or behaviors based on what they look like. Categorizing someone and making them feel like a burden to society just because they seem less trustworthy should not be allowed – it is unfair to assume someone’s intentions, especially on a systemic level.
Works Cited
“Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion International Airport Is a 3-Star Airport.” Skytrax, 22 June 2020, skytraxratings.com/airports/tel-aviv-ben-gurion-international-airport-rating.
Weller, Chris. “What They Don’t Tell You About Israel’s Famously Tight Airport Security” Insider, 11 June 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com/israels-ben-gurion-airport-security-uses-secret-sticker-system-2015-6.