The inspections at the Israeli-YESHA checkposts,
machsomim, are nothing compared to what goes on as
security checks in United States airports. The IDF soldiers and special guards mostly glance, using their G-d-given eyes, at the people passing through. There's very little, if any, full-body scans, and "pat downs" are rare and frequently discover weapons etc and other forbidden articles.
So, I suggest that those
Machsom Watch ladies go where truly innocent people are harassed, those American airports. I'd love to see how long the Americans let them disturb the peace!
7 comments:
Perhaps they just counter the negative impression the machsom & soldiers make.
So you should be grateful to them. They do it on a volontary basis.
Why don't you join them? Just give those people who are controlled a little smile, or if you want serve them tea while they are waiting, and the impression they get of "the enemy" will be completely different.
I just have to go through airports, and I can tell you that a neutral person who is there to watch out for MY rights, respect for me, would make a hell of a lot of a difference to me.
Shalom!
Rita, you don't understand the situation. Perhaps you're not aware of the purpose of the checkpoints. The Machsom Watch women are not neutral. The population that the soldiers are checking are not a peaceful people. When the Arabs use ambulances to transport terrorists and weapons and "pregnant" women hide bombs under their clothes, the last thing the soldiers should have to deal with is a group of women screaming at them for them to "Just let him through. He looks harmless."
You see, there might be a small minority who are plotting or transporting explosives. However, they are just that: a small minority.
Most people who want to cross checkpoints just want to go about their daily life and are bothered by long queues, investigative questions, pat-downs, what do I know.
At airports, security personnell are trained to be courteous and not to treat passangers like terrorists. Yet, I always feel very annoyed at them, because of the long queues, because of the investigatives questions, because of the need to take out my computer, because of the impossibility to walk through with a simple bottle of water or a jar of yoghurt.
Now combine this with someone who truly thinks you are a terrorist and is less keen on being polite...
So be happy that those machsom watch women give them the feeling that
a) the soldiers cannot do what they want
b) that they are perceived as humans at least by someone there.
Therefore, I think that soldiers should not perceive the Machsom Watch women with hostility, let alone other people who are not soldiers at those checkpoints.
rita, you haven't a clue. I'm sorry. Those machsom watch ladies interfere with necesary inspections. I'd like to see them try that in the states at an airport. They'd be arrested, jailed and worse.
I didn't find it funny when I was injured in a terror attack, before there was so much security. I don't think smiles of lala left ladies make terrorists change their plans.
Hadassa, thanks again.
So what was H' intention when he had you hurt in a terror attack?
An Arab terrorist injured me, not G-d. What type of question is that?
Shalom!
Rita, so you think it's acceptable to badger soldiers when they're dealing with an extremely tense situation, which is not at all like dealing with an airport full of travelers? Checkpoints are totally open; some areas are covered and there are some buildings for certain inspections, but there is much open area. In other words, people can come from all sides, not just from the entrances to the airport. Hundreds of people, who have openly declared themselves to be enemies of Israel, are crowding. I would like to add that many of them are on their way to Jewish hospitals for medical treatment or to work for Jews. Add to this pressure a group of women who think that no inspections are necessary, despite the fact that every time a checkpoint is closed or moved Jews are injured, or worse. I could go on, but I think there's no need. On top of it all, do the women from Machsom Watch treat the soldiers like humans? No. The women from Machsom Watch do not treat the soldiers the way they expect the soldiers to treat the Arabs. If the soldiers treated the Arabs the way the women from Machsom Watch treat them, they'd be removed from duty and in most cases put in military prison for a few weeks.
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