Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's Draconian Security Measures

Our flights out of Israel are on a Saturday, normally not a problem, except in Israel they observe Shabbat and trains and buses don't run until sunset, all we can do is take a taxi, which we're told is 100 Shekels ($26 USD). We stop a taxi and are told that it's 100 Shekels, we offer 50, he laughs and says it's not negotiable. We just came out of Egypt and Bethlehem, EVERYTHING is negotiable. The next car pulls up, same story, he says 100 Shekels, we offer 50, he laughs, we tell him we have all day, he offers 70, we get in.

We both fly out on the same day, both to German, but on different flights to
different cities (my sister is heading to Poland, I am flying to the US).
Normally this is a non-issue, not at Ben Gurion Airport, this is a big deal.

At the airport, everyone entering has to join a queue (Security Screening
Queue #1 SSQ1) and answer a few questions from Girl with Clipboard (GwC). Eventually GwC works her way through the queue to the guys in front of me, one of them is flying, the other is not, those not flying must leave the airport and say their goodbyes now, with that she sends him outside and moves her way to Administer the Questions to myself.

GwC: Where are you flying?
Me: Germany.
GwC: Passport?
Me: *hands passport* here you go.
GwC: It says here you have recently been to Egypt.
Me: That's correct.
GwC: What was the purpose of that visit?
Me (thinking it's none of her business): Tourism.
GwC: Did you talk to anybody while in Egypt?
Me (no I was mute the entire time): Yes.
GwC: Do you have any friends in Egypt?
Me: Yes
GwC: Tell me their names.
Me (this is ridiculous): There was Ahmed, but we call him Brawy, a couple of
Muhammad's and a Zanoun.
GwC: Where do they live?
Me (how the f*ck should I know?): Egypt, somewhere between Alexandria and
Cairo.
GwC: Do you know anyone else at this airport?
Me (Glad we came to checkout early, this is going to be a long day): Yes.
GwC: Who?
Me: My sister.
GwC: Where is she?
Me: *point to sister*
GwC: Why are you not with her?
Me: We're on different flights.
GwC: Why are you not on the same flight?
Me (So we can target two planes instead of one): We are headed to different
cities.
GwC: Come with me.
* we walk to where my sister is being questioned by Girl with Hat (GwH) *
GwC: Is this her?
Me: Yes.
GwC to GwH: This man knows this woman, they are brother and sister and are
not flying together.
GwH: Why are you not flying together?
Me (they sure know how to pick the brightest girls to work in security): We're
headed to different cities, she's going to Poland, I'm going to visit a friend
and then to Frankfurt.

 
* GwC & GwH consult some more and seal our fates for the evening by selecting the highest threat level on their 0-9 forms and attaching them to our passports. *
We leave Security Screening Queue 1 and head to check in (a hassle free process
compared to SSQ1) receive our boarding passes and enter Security Screening
Queue 2 (SSQ2 aka we're going to go through all of your personal belongings in
public because everyone here is a terrorist until we clear them, and your
privacy doesn't mean sh*t because it's a matter of National Security).

SSQ2 has you line up with your carry on luggage in front of a large group of
tables, you head with your things to the first available table where you hand
over everything you have to another security officer who mostly ignores you as
she puts on a fresh pair of gloves, opens your bags in full view of everyone
and rummages through your things as if she's at a yard sale. She next takes a
swab of your bag and puts it into the high-tech bomb detection machine since
after all, 99.999% of passengers are terrorists until you cannot find any
traces of terrorist devices on them.

Having already admitted to making contact with Egyptians, flying out with my
sister on two flights one hour apart and not lining up together, we have been
put on the high alert status and so SSQ2 is not the easy process they would
like you to think it is.

Shortly into SSQ2, another security officer approaches me and the girl who was
looking through my posessions tells introduces me to Short Man (SM) who I am
to follow for further screening. For a brief second SM shows a puzzled
expression at my lack of enthusiasm for further invasive searches (they're for
National Security, invasive searches and lack of personal freedoms are only a
problem when you have something to hide).

We head to the security personell only section where I'm given a small area
sealed off with a privacy curtain.

SM: Remove your outer layer of clothing, shoes, socks and anything in your
pockets.
*SM tries to make small talk as I remove everything, f*ck him and his questions.SM: I'll be right back, I'm just taking your belongings for further testing.
* I stand there twiddling my thumbs, vowing to never return to this airport again *
SM *having returned*: Stand together, look at the wall and raise your arms,
I'm going to pat you down.
Me (Here I was thinking I'd leave with some dignity and privacy intact, way to
go Israel for taking that away and treating all tourists like terrorists): Ok.

After half an hour spent in the Intense Screening Process, I'm allowed to put
the rest of my clothes back on, retrieve my things, repack my bag and join yet
another security officer to be escorted past Security Screening Queues #3 and
#4 to the departure terminal with a smile and a sorry for the inconvenience.

F*ck her apologies, f*ck their thorough screening procedures which serve at
inconveniencing every passenger that's ever passed through the airport, and
f*ck them for wasting two hours of mine and my sister's time, the last time
we'll see each other for at least a year.

Fifteen minutes before boarding is called for my flight, my sister emerges
from her Invasive Security Screening Procedures for a quick hug, a chat, some
smiles and a last photo before I have to board my plane.

As I'm boarding the plane, we hit Security Screening Queue #5 (another X-Ray)
where they take one of my most sentimental posessions away (as it's a
potential weapon).

Israel, I hate your security policies, you need to find a better way of
handling security, you leave all of your guests with their worst impressions
of your country when they enter or leave your country, ensuring that the
impression lasts with them far longer than after their trip is over. For those
that think that the ends justify the means, is this the kind of life you want
to lead, where police can stop you on the side of the road and go through all
of your things without cause or justification?

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