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	Child Care
	CB20: Beds of hope

Take Off

Date:	30 August 2009 07:00
Producer:	Joy Summers
Presenter:	Bongani Bingwa
Researcher:	Susan Comrie
Show:	Carte Blanche

This man is part of an undercover experiment on his way to meet a friend at the airport checkin. Filming from a distance is a white scruffy cameraman. They are about to test an allegation that security personnel from El Al Airlines will target our man even if he is not one of their passengers, simply because he's a muslim.

It didn't take long before El Al approached him.

El Al representative: 'Hi, how are you? Where are you flying to?'

Undercover man: 'No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm waiting for a friend of mine.'

El Al representative: 'Do you have your passport or ID with you here?'

El Al representative: 'We're security from the airport here. You're not flying today?'

Undercover man: 'You're from airport security?'

El Al representative: 'Yes.'

Airport security? No they are not says Jonathan Garb, a former El Al security employee.

Jonathan Garb (Former El Al security employee): 'This here is a secret service operating above the law in South Africa. We pull the wool over everyones eyes. We do exactly as we please - the local authorities do not know what we are doing.'

Undercover man: 'Is something wrong?'

El Al representative: 'No, we just have to... its just the regulations of the airport.'

Jonathan: 'To members of the public they will represent themselves as airport security - not even as El Al security. It will be a public area and they will tell them that they are not allowed to be standing in this area.'

This is Golan Rice. According to his business card he was the El Al security manager.

Jonathan: 'But in fact we are working for Israeli Security Agency which is the internal security service of the government of Israel.'

So our undercover footage shows a South African citizen, standing in a public place in his country being grilled by an Israeli secret agent - in full view of other passengers.

Golan Rice (El Al Security Manager): 'Hi. I'm the security manager of the company. Can I see your passport or ID?'

Undercover man [shows ID]: 'I just showed your friend over here now.'

Undercover man: 'What is this about?'

Golan: 'What time is he supposed to come... your friend?'

Undercover man: 'He said about half past eight he'll be here.'

Golan: 'What is your friend's name?'

Undercover man: 'Bradley.'

Undercover man: 'Why are you asking me all of this?'

Golan: 'What time he told you to come?'

Undercover man: 'Half past eight.'

Undercover man: 'What is this about though?'

Golan: 'No, I just want to see why...'

Undercover man: 'I'm just waiting for my friend.'

Golan: 'You know this airport decided that only passengers that fly can enter this area.'

Jonathan: 'You know what the joke is - the way that they are behaving here they can't do it in Israel! They wouldn't dare do it in Israel. They would be taken to the Israeli courts by employees and by the way they treat passengers.'

But at OR Tambo, El Al is unhindered.

Jonathan: 'What we are trained is to look for the immediate threat - Muslim guy - you can think he is a suicide bomber, he is collecting information. The crazy thing is that we are profiling people racially, ethnically and even on religious grounds - which is ... this is what we do.'

Bongani Bingwa (Carte Blanche presenter): 'This year after 19 years with the airline Jonathan was summarily dismissed for leading a labour dispute. Furious at how he was treated he decided to expose his former bosses.'

Bongani: 'Why are you talking to us?'

Jonathan: 'I am absolutely disillusioned with this whole story, it is like taking me like a piece of paper, crumpling me up and throwing me away.'

Bongani: 'But now that they are doing it to you, suddenly you have problems with it?'

Jonathan: 'Ya, I admit it. I am not proud of what I have done.'

Jonathan's case is in good hands, his lawyer Michael Bagraim is also the President of the Jewish Board of Deputies.

Michael Bagraim (Lawyer): 'I think it is an excellent case. I think he has been unfairly dismissed. I don't think they have a good reason for the dismissal, and I don't think they followed the procedure in the dismissal at all. And not only don't I think that, the paperwork proves exactly what I am saying.'

19 years ago El Al approached Jonathan to work for them.

Jonathan: 'I arrived at the airport and they tell me,'You're going to do armed security.' Armed security is being undercover, carrying a handgun and at that time as well - sounds crazy - but we carried Samsonite briefcases with an uzzi submachine gun in it.'

In preparation, Jonathan went to Israel for secret training.

Jonathan: 'It was exciting, I was young, we were dealing with weapons. We were trained at a secret camp where they train Israeli Special Forces. They train you how to use hand guns, submachine guns and in unarmed combat.

Bongani: 'For eight years Jonathan did armed security for the airline. Then in 1994 everything changed and only Israelis were allowed to do this, so he became a profiler. His role to identify suspicious passengers and turn on the heat.'

Jonathan: 'Did anyone else give you anything to take or deliver to Israel?'

Woman: 'No.'

Jonathan: 'You need to understand that it's happened before on this airline where people have taken something, and what was in it was a bomb.'

Woman: 'No, no.'

All El Al passengers are profiled and the profilers are trained to look for specific suspicious signs.

Jonathan: 'To give you an idea September 11th - Israeli security would have stopped it on the ground. After September 11 we didn't change our security procedure.
September 11... all had one way tickets, they were also not dressed appropriately and they sat in business class so they could run for the cockpit. It was quick and no one could react to them.'

El Al's own history is marked by bloody attacks and foiled attempts.

1968 A hijacking en route from Rome - 21 hostages are freed after 40 days
1969 Zurich airport - a pilot is killed and a co-pilot injured
1970 El Al flight from Tel Aviv to New York is hijacked
1985 Deadly attacks at the airports in Rome and Vienna
1986 London - A terrorist attack is foiled
2002 Los Angeles International - six Israelis are killed

Bongani: 'Isn't there a case that this is how El Al should do these things?'

Jonathan: 'El Al does excellent security work but they work above the law.'

Jonathan has profiled over 40 000 people, one of those was international expert on Middle East politics, Virginia Tilley.

Jonathan: 'The decision was she should be checked in the harshest way because of her connections.'

Virginia Tilley (Comparative political scientist): 'There are intelligence agents in the security area. They may call them airline security, but there's no difference here. And you have to get through that barricade to get on the plane.'

Virginia was taken to an interrogation room where she was seperated from her luggage

Virginia: 'And they set me in a room and they put my luggage on a table in another room with an open door. And then after about 5 minutes that door just closed and I couldn't see my luggage any more. Now what were they doing with all that stuff for 45 minutes?'

Up until now she could only guess, but Jonathan confirmed what really happened that day.

Jonathan: 'She had like a portfolio. Golan Rice took the folder while it was in the back room. She couldn't see what we were doing and photocopied all the documentation and then he forwarded it on to Israel.'

Bongani: 'Who was that information passed on to?'

Jonathan: 'Well I would imagine that it would be passed on to the Israeli Security Services, it would be of no benefit to El Al the airline.'

Bongani: 'So you're saying it's like the CIA doing what they want at OR Tambo?'

Jonathan: 'It's like the CIA or the FBI or MI5, but they are hiding behind the guise of the airline.'

Virginia Tilley is currently on a two year research assignment at the HSRC. The project brought South African, Palestinian and Israeli scholars together to debate their future. To avoid El Al's treatment they came to South Africa on a different airline, but El Al phoned the travel agent, wanting to know who her visitors were meeting.

Virginia: 'For El Al to be interrogating private South African citizens about the agenda of visitors to the Human Science Research Council is entirely inappropriate if not illegal!'

Bongani: 'Given the difficulties of the Israeli's situation, isn't it reasonable that they take these kinds of precautions?'

Virginia: 'Well there are two problems with that. First is the racial profiling - to judge people and treat them differently on the basis of race is inadmissable in South Africa today. Second the questions go far beyond the only legitimate interest at that point, which is the security of the airplane.'

So who are these people that Jonathan says employed him?

Jonathan: 'In Hebrew it is known as the Shabak or Shin Bet - it's the internal security service of the Israeli government. They have a reputation of being absolutley ruthless in the way that they have handled the situation in Israel.'

As proof Jonathan produced several documents and a letter from El Al's general manager, Roz Bukris, in which she clearly states that the Israeli security agency is his employer, so we gave her a call.

Roz Bukris (El Al - General Manager): 'Hello?'

Bongani: 'Hello Roz., you are speaking to Bongani from Carte Blanche.'

Roz: 'Hi Bongani, can I ask you to call me in about 10 minutes? I'm just busy on an overseas call.'

So we tried Roz as she asked, but from then on for three days she ducked and dived, avoiding our calls. Then an email came from El Al in Bedfordview saying that they do not give out any information on their security but we simply wanted to know who Jonathan Garb worked for.

Bongani: 'We would like to do an on camera interview. Now your guy has explained to us...'

Golan: 'No, I can't.'

Security manager, Mr Golan Rice, was also shy. We would have asked him why his weapon is licenced to the Israeli embassy and why he passed on Virginia Tilley's information to Israel, but no deal.

The Israeli embassy were equally reluctant to give us answers.

Man: 'This is the Israeli embassy...'

Bongani: 'That's the Israeli embassy, this is public property...'

The ambassador Dov Segev Steinburg told our journalist that we should look for answers from El Al as the embassy had nothing to do with a private company.

Journalist: 'Sorry. So, from your side you're saying that the State of Israel is not involved with El Al at all?'

Dov Segev Steinburg (Israeli ambassador to South Africa): 'Look, that is what I can tell you... El Al is a private company and with regard to your question you should refer it to them.'

But how then does the ambassador explain the weapons used by the new security manager Eli Shukrun and his predecessor Golan Rice. Carte Blanche has confirmed that their arms are licenced to the embassy. If El Al is a private company with nothing to do with them, why would the embassy be so generous as to loan them it's weapons?

Bongani: 'A recent El Al ad campaign features passengers flying on the airline as angels. In reality those with a certain look, your experience is likely to be one straight out of hell.'

Isaac Mgidi (Mgidi Agricultural Development): 'I wasn't angry but I was burning... it was a classical replica of the old South African apartheid style.'

Isaac was so incensed by his treatment at the hands of El Al that he has taken the matter to the South African embassy to Israel. He has a small NGO that assists woman's groups to produce food. The Israeli's are experts in hydroponics so he planned a knowledge sharing trip to Israel and arrived at the El Al check in, in June.

Isaac: 'The question I asked is, 'Why are you doing all these things, what is your problem?' And then she said, 'Well, we are protecting the State of Israel.' And I said, 'If you are protecting the State, against who?' She said, 'Against the Palestinians or whoever...' I said, 'But do we look like Palestinians?''

Jonathan explained that 'black' people receive a harsher profiling process than 'white' people.

Bongani: 'In South Africa in 2009, that doesn't seem right - surely?'

Jonathan: 'Of course its not right, of course its not right.'

Isaac and his colleague were taken to this little room behind the check in, told to remove their shoes and their pants, and with their hands up, face the wall.

Isaac: 'The first question I had in my mind was, 'Where are the South African security people?' And it became even worse. You have these people that are saying that they are protecting the State of Israel and whereas we are in the Republic of South Africa.'

Bongani: 'Can you say no?'

Jonathan: 'You can say no. What right have I got as Israeli security to tell someone to open their pants?'

So where does El Al get their authority? According to the law only an authorised person - that is the police, the SANDF or any other person appointed by the minister of transport can do this kind of search.

This is an extract from the depratment of transport's letter to Carte Blanche:

'... There is therefore no basis for appointing El Al or anyone within their security division as authorised person in terms of the Civil Aviation Offences Act. Our records do not show any attempt by the minister to appoint anyone within El Al as an authorised person under the auspices of the Civil Aviations Offences Act.'

Isaac and his colleague were forced to leave their laptops and shaving kits in Johannesburg. Even a pair of shoes became an issue.

Bongani: 'So they never even got onto the plane.'

Isaac: 'No, no, no, they never got on the plane.'

Isaac: 'And these were a brand new pair of shoes!'

Xolile Nxu's story is not without irony. He was invited to an international conference which looked at ways in which Palestinians could move away from violence to achieve democracy through peaceful demonstrations. Jonathan profiled him too.

Bongani: 'Why him?'

Jonathan: 'He is 'black', he was travelling to the Palestinian Authority for some meetings and we were told that we had to give him the harshest procedure and we had to search him.'

Once Jonathan had profiled him, Xolile was taken to the same small room, interrogated, searched and he too was stripped down to his pants.

Xolile Nxu (First Deputy President SAMWU): 'Then this one said, 'Take off your pants,' and we started arguing. He never answered any questions. He kept on repeating, 'Please take off your pants.''

Bongani: 'Were they aggressive with you?'

Xolile: 'At one stage they were, they were swearing at me.'

Bongani: 'What were they saying?'

Xolile: 'They were saying, 'You are not going to f***ing go to this country - we will make sure that we follow you.''

Eventually after 2 hours Xolile was escorted onto the plane. He was left in no doubt as to who his interrogators were.

Xolile: 'How do you allow intelligence of another country to operate in your country?'

Bongani: 'How do you know they were Israeli intelligence services?'

Xolile: 'The very people who asked me the questions escorted me to Tel Aviv - how can that be airport security?'

So are South African authorities aware of what El Al security is doing here. We were surprised at the muted response we received from them. Perhaps that is exactly what El Al security is counting on. In the meantime South African passengers remain at the mercy of Israeli agents in Johannesburg.

Jonathan: 'I once had an innocent man, an elderly man wetting his pants from being continually battered and badgered in the security process. The passenger was my passenger but I was working according to procedure pushing and pushing and just trying to intimidate passengers.'

Bongani: 'When that happens, what did you feel?'

Jonathan: 'I was embarrased for the gentleman and I was embarrased for myself because nobody deserves to be treated like this and for something like this to happen.'

On Thursday Jonathan met with the investigators from the Private Security Industry regulatory authority. They have confirmed that El Al's security people are not registered with them and have opened an investigation into El Al security's practices. Their investigation continues...

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

While every attempt has been made to ensure this transcript or summary is accurate, Carte Blanche or its agents cannot be held liable for any claims arising out of inaccuracies caused by human error or electronic fault. This transcript was typed from a transcription recording unit and not from an original script, so due to the possibility of mishearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, errors cannot be ruled out.

hattinghj	19:16 - 30 Aug 09

If only more airlines had security on their mind and not equality, then the air might be safer.

John69	19:57 - 30 Aug 09

These Jews/Israelis must get the hell out of our country. They are masters of racism and treat any non jew in their insignificant little country like dogs. It was bad enough that they bring war criminals into the country as recent as last month - as heroes, now they are intimidating OUR citizens in OUR country just as they like. The racist white government like jews. Why have we not chased them out of the country yet.

ninpoikkan	20:15 - 30 Aug 09

john69, so Jews must get out? Its people like you that necessitate the tight security requirements of El Al. Perhaps you should reflect on your own blatant anti-semitic rantings and wonder how you will ever be allowed among normal people?

ninpoikkan	20:18 - 30 Aug 09

I personally found the article biased and one sided. The producers knew Israeli officials would not discuss security on air, so we the viewers were left with 2 pro-palesitnian disgruntled passengers, and a disgruntled fired South african employee who was more than happy to work there for 19 years. You should trust the views of a disgruntled ex-employee at your own peril.

ninpoikkan	20:21 - 30 Aug 09

and with all the problems of crime, corruption and other terrible issues in South Africa, I am ashamed that carte blanche had nothing more to dig up than harsh airlne security. Perhaps they should refocus on the baggage thieves, drug mules and other nightmares at the same airport... maybe if OR tambo was made a world standard safe airport, such security could be lessened.

John69	20:26 - 30 Aug 09

Let EL AL look after their own and leave us alone. Not only are they operating illegally but with no respect for the laws of a country they are guests in. The udenczionist state treats the world/UN etc with inpudence becuase they have the backing of the USA. HAVE is wrong, Obama is starting to put them in their cage. ME - AntiSemetic? NO!. Anti Racist? YES! When whites had apartheid, communist jews help to bring them down. When they do it, we are expected to applaud ???? WAKE UP !

John69	20:39 - 30 Aug 09

This is not HARSH AIRLINE SECURITY. These are agents of a foreign government running around on the sovereign soil of South Africa with guns owned under diplomatic agreements by the Israeli Consulate. The people they were harassing were SOUTH AFRICAN citizens and their political viewpoints were never part of the story. They worked for Carte Blanche but the israeli illegally profiled them on racial criteria which against the SA Constitutional Law.

stan luntz	20:54 - 30 Aug 09

This is not REPORTING. It is RABBLE ROUSING. Googe "JEW BAITING".

stan luntz	20:54 - 30 Aug 09

This is not REPORTING. It is RABBLE ROUSING. Googe "JEW BAITING".

saint88	21:11 - 30 Aug 09

that was possibly the most dissapointing show that i had ever seen. Completely one sided almost like typical palestinian television carte blanche you should be ashamed of yourselves doing this show. . There must have been a reason for that employee being fired. A complete fool. listen john 69 you have to repeat what was shown in that interview every one saw it and it was a bunch of RUBBISH.

saint88	21:31 - 30 Aug 09

Also where is the proof that these men are armed. All it looks like to me is that there are israeli managers running it. the same as other airlines having people from there own countries running there own airlines. there was no proof shown that they were carrying any firearms so john 69 dont be so ignorant. it was just an assumption by carte blanche. And that individual that was approached by the security did look like a suspicious individual carte blanche did it on purpose to get a reaction out

John69	22:15 - 30 Aug 09

Oh come on. When anyone in the world does something that smells like racism you had jewish politicians like the late Helen Suzman and communists like Marx shouting blue hell. When a jew/israeli/zionist is accused of something, the world rushes to their defence. Carte Blanche is one of the shows with the best record in the TV world when it comes for accuracy and especially PRE SHOW research. Suspicious or not, it has NOTHING to do with Israeli agents while on OUR soil. The are out of line.

Intelligentsia	22:29 - 30 Aug 09

I travel through that airport twice a month and am yet to see anyone wearing a trenchcoat near the check-in - summer or winter. It is hot and crowded and people checking are generally uncomfortably warm. Forget about the fact that this guy looks middle eastern - he is loitering in a trench coat and I have no doubt trying to be conspicuously suspicious apart from which ACSA's security is utterly shambolic - luggage gets tampered with daily.

John69	22:44 - 30 Aug 09

You just made Carte Blanche's point. HE LOOKED MIDDLE EASTERN. Racial profiling is illegal in SA and also racist. He is in SOUTH AFRICA. If the israeli wanted to interogate him, do it on their own ground, not ours. If he wanted to get on an EL AL plane, stop lying about who you are and make use of OUR security people to pull him in and then ask him questions. If you dont like it, refuse him access to your israeli plane but that does not make racial profiling legal. Stan your website is down.

John69	22:53 - 30 Aug 09

As for the show being on sided. Utter rubbish. You cant force a party to participate if they are to scared of the truth comming out and getting them into trouble. Carte Blanche has had MANY shows were the bad guys knew they had no foot to stand on and then refused to attend. Bet you that by the time any proper investigation starts, all the accused will be out of the country and camel riding in the israeli dessert out of contact with the world... that is if they ever existed ??????

John69	22:54 - 30 Aug 09

John69	22:54 - 30 Aug 09

John69	22:54 - 30 Aug 09

Sorry. dont know what happened there.

saint88	23:11 - 30 Aug 09

john he wasnt saying that the guy was stopped because he is middle eastern it was the fact that he was wearing a trench coat and looking major suspicious i think that israeli official was doing the right thing by questioning him. Any good security man would do the same thing. And thats how one would prevent a major tragedy, but u wouldent agree because you clearly an open anti semite.

Intelligentsia	23:13 - 30 Aug 09

Hey John, perhaps you didn't understand me..."forget about the fact that this guy looks middle eastern"! He could be yellow, pink, black, blue. His dress and behaviour were suspicious! I didn't make anyone's point except my own! I suppose those uber-sensitive to anything that might be perceived as racism would rather see (the very real possibility) of a full jumbo exploding over Africa then to have one or two folk minorly inconvenienced. The questioning of this individual was mild at worst!

saint88	23:15 - 30 Aug 09

and you say our own security people they were standing right next to him and they never said a word!!!!those acsa security guards were having a good chat. But typical in our own i guess look at our soldiers for godsake now that should have been a story on tonights carte blanche

John69	23:33 - 30 Aug 09

Sorry I did misunderstand you. Saint88. We do not have to fear islamic/middle east attacks in SA because we treat everyone with respect (kind of). The israelis on the other hand do not treat them with any respect and they must fear islamic backlash. If they want to run security on them, let them BUT let them do it on THEIR soil. THEY ARE SELFISHLY ENDANGERING OUR COUNTRY AND SETTING US UP FOR ISLAMIC BACKLASH IF WE ARE PERCEIVED TO AGREE WITH THEIR GESTAPO TYPE INTEROGATION ON OUR SOIL.

John69	23:52 - 30 Aug 09

No matter how much you try the old trick of MISDIRECTION by shouting JEW BASHING or ANTI SEMETIC, if CB is corrrect, the israeli gov is running an illegal intelligence operation on the soil of another sovereign country. Kick them out, diplomats and all. I am sure CB would have checked their info VERY well, considering the international consequences if true/false. I also doubt if the SA GOV is part of this considering the weapons trade between the old regime and israel.

liverpoolfc	01:02 - 31 Aug 09

complaining about South Africans being at risk from islamic backlash, what about the risk of the people flying on the el al planes if there is no interrogation ? every person who flies on el al airline is interrogated no matter if they are jewish or not and what colour skin they have ! talking about el al being above the law, what about every person in this country who believes they above the law in terms of the corruption within our own government and every criminal owning guns illegally ??

liverpoolfc	01:15 - 31 Aug 09

and all this has proven is the need for security measures like these because there are people who seem to have problems with Israel and jews, especially those living "as guests" in South Africa !!!

ninpoikkan	05:44 - 31 Aug 09

John69, passengers need to be screened at point of departure. Who do you propose stops the suspicious trenchcoat man, ACSA security? they are too busy pilfering luggage and robbing tourists. As for racial profiling, I am sure the one interviewee was a distinctly white American woman, hardly racist. Go stand by any embassy ina large trenchcoat and see what happens! US security also tells you to take off shoes.

ninpoikkan	05:47 - 31 Aug 09

as for the "taking pants off", well, two pro palestinians "witnesses" with hidden agendas, hardly reliable, didnt see the hiden camera pick that up. So who are we to believe? Go to US embassy and tru get a tourist visa, they will profile you, and you are not even at the airport yet. this is the world we live in, with paranoia abundant, primarily due to Islamic terrorists blowing everything they can up, from London, New York etc. Live with it!

saint88	07:29 - 31 Aug 09

what about the south african jews. they as south african as you are or probably more!!!! Your other comment as well"The racist white government like jews" But i thought you said "racial criteria which against the SA Constitutional Law" so you obviously dont believe what you say. Fly to america and see how they interogate and there is all good reasons for that "september 11th"

ednih	07:36 - 31 Aug 09

I have travelled El Al 3x in the last few years - white Jewish woman,and I was also searched & interrogated- I welcomed this and felt safe and reassured they were working in my best interests. I unpacked my whole bag once & they found a little jewelley box( gift bought in Israel) which had alarmed them. Anthing Israel/Jews do just once again rattle the anti-semites. Take another airline without 38 years safety record.

saint88	07:40 - 31 Aug 09

and also just by the way if you read a newspaper once in your life terrorist organizations like hezbollah, al qaeda have vowed to attack Israel off its soil. what else would you like them to do let a terrorist onto a plane and kill everyone? just by the way its a rhetorical question.when i meant Indian attacks it was the narimam house where they targeted jews and thats not on israeli soil. But you probably agree with the terrorists how dare the israelis have security on international soil.

ednih	08:46 - 31 Aug 09

if everyone just co-operated at airports, allow staff to do their jobs ( ensuring your safety),quit complaining, stupid programs like Take Off would be unnecessary and CB could spend time on REAL issues that need attention. CB trading on the old familiar trail of stoking up a bit of Jew Bashing to get viewers attention. Perhaps viewers are dropping....in numbers

GT1954	09:13 - 31 Aug 09

I see no problem with what the El Al security are doing. In a country that has by its own admission runaway crime and corruption they are being pro active in ensuring that our problems dont become their problems. They have enough of their own. I travel extensively worldwide annually and what was shown here is repeated in many countries. But then certain people always find joy in anti semitism. Carry on Isreal, you've never worried about your detractors in the past dont start now.

h_gordon	09:42 - 31 Aug 09

You just need to drive through Israel to know what is really going on, it is clear that some power is trying to wipe the country from the face of the earth as if they they can then wipe the Bible from the face of the earth, but they do not seem to get it right . I thank God for such a safe airline I do not want to fly in the same plane with friens of 9/11 crowd, show me your friends and I'll show you who you are!

slightlycooked	12:21 - 31 Aug 09

Why during the show was it never mentioned that Jonathans wife still is employed by ELAL??? I sthis not a conflict of interest. If Jonathan was so worried about the racial profiling, why did he work there for 19 years????? I have flown El Al all over the world and it is the same at every station. all they are trying to do is protect the lives of passangers and it seems according to their success rate of foiled hijackings they are good at what they do!

slightlycooked	12:21 - 31 Aug 09

jasons	12:47 - 31 Aug 09

clearly half of you that have commented have not flown to other countries around the world. the interrogation tactics employed by el al are not unique to el al. any suspicious person anywhere in the world will be questioned and taken apart if security is not happy with them. i am a white qualified professional and on one of my travels to the US i was interrogated and take apart for an hour, all because one security official at LAX did not like the look of me.

jasons	12:56 - 31 Aug 09

furthermore, any person standing around suspiciously in any public area will be questioned by security or the police, whether it is in a park or a shopping centre or an airport. if they are doing their job properly and are not happy, they will interrogate. it has nothing do with racial profiling. john69, it is not only non-jews that are interrogated by el al security. i know for a fact that even jews are torn apart by the security if they are not happy with them.

leziaf	13:55 - 31 Aug 09

The facts remain that they dont have the authority to be there, let alone interrogate anyone. Get EL AL out of this country if they feel like their imaginery security is being compromised. They dont belong here. Who the hell do they think they are? This is insanity.. Its so amazing how a nation who suffered so terribly during the holacaust didnt seem to learn very much from being tortured or interrorgated now did they? They need to take the chip of their shoulders.

eggnog	13:57 - 31 Aug 09

Short sighted, small minded Leziaf.

eggnog	14:02 - 31 Aug 09

EL AL will continue with their strict security so that you can fly knowing you wont be blown to bits by a terrorist bomb.

leziaf	14:06 - 31 Aug 09

Get El Al out of our country. They they think that Isreal is being compromised, seal of the entire area, nobody alllowed in or out. Build a higher wall... but leave us alone in SA. This is sickening. Theses guys should take that pathetic chip of their shoulders... always shouting aniti-sematic to everything. Holcaust is over.... move on

jasons	14:10 - 31 Aug 09

faizel... have you or anyone in your family ever flown on el al?

leziaf	14:12 - 31 Aug 09

eggnog : I am muslim but I will be the first to tell you that sucide bombing is a disgrace and should never be tolerated but for a Jew to admit that they are wrong in killing with white phosporous or killing innocent people or treating them like animals,or making a soverign airport their own with no permission, I have a better chance of pulling blood from a stone... so get a life.. you just a ignorant one track minded individual with no back bone.

leziaf	14:16 - 31 Aug 09

Haha... yeah right jasons. I would not bother. Would not want to support the airline and besides they would probably not let me on anyway. I would however love to go... I am not a Jew hater, I am just pro life.

jasons	14:20 - 31 Aug 09

didnt think so. so why such a chip on your shoulder if you havent flown on the airline. you only know facts from two people's testimonies. furthermore, the jew in the holocaust were not interrogated, they were just killed for no reason. and no one in the history of el al has ever been tortured, so your statements make no sense. faizel... el al have full permission to be at the airport, they all have ACSA permit cards. otherwise they wouldnt be allowed there.

eggnog	14:31 - 31 Aug 09

Leziaf if you are not anti semitic then I am the Pope of Rome. If a Muslim airline was deploying the same tactics to protect its Muslim (and any other) passengers, you would be applauding and defending the action. Just because its a Jewish airline. You one bad dude, man.

leziaf	14:34 - 31 Aug 09

Jasons... I guess we all are human and love making assumptions, Im guilty of that as well but remember that only when you have experienced interrogation by some starnger who rips you of your dignity (and yes I have had an experience at LAX airport) thn you will change your mind. So I hope you are stripped to your nothings and asked if you might have something down there to make you feel the humiliation. Until than, you my dear will never understand... You Jewish hey Jason? Typical.

jasons	14:41 - 31 Aug 09

go read a few posts back... i too have had an experience at LAX, randomly pulled from the queue. so its not only el al at OR Tambo that is guilty of such interrogation. It's any aiport in any country that has security and is not happy with someone. its a global "phenomenon"... not unique to OR Tambo.

leziaf	14:41 - 31 Aug 09

eggnog : Thn i would boycott that airline.. Im against all terror groups, I am against killing any innocent person. Anti-sematic? Are you an idiot????? I just condemned suicide bombing? Stop with that Anti sematic nonsense.... get a grip. Move on...

leziaf	14:52 - 31 Aug 09

Thanks for the chat guys... I just love debating thats all. No love lost. To have an opinion is an awesome thing. Have an awesome week. I need to work now. Later

eggnog	14:56 - 31 Aug 09

Aw come ON Leziaf! whats this - "You Jewish hey Jason? Typical". Doesnt matter what religion we are, any of us. If an airline or country feel threatened, then they have every right to protect their passengers and inhabitants. Jews have been persecuted throughout history and now is no exception. Thank goodness El Al has such strict security. We can fly that airline feeling safe and secure, my Muslim friend.

Intelligentsia	15:17 - 31 Aug 09

actually this issue is very simple. EL AL is not the only way to get to Israel. If you don't approve of their security practices then don't fly the airline! If you are waiting for someone at the airport, don't wait at the check-in desks in the furthest corner of the airport from the entrance!! there is no need for loitering in a crowded, busy check-in area, which is for peope looking to travel on THEIR CHOICE OF AIRLINE. I hardly saw evidence of EL AL operating outside of their check-in area!

Intelligentsia	15:23 - 31 Aug 09

Furthermore let me tell you that on the 2 occassions where i was asked to undo my pants by airport security (Germany/US) it was a total non-issue for me - hardly traumatising - actually reassuring. By the way in the US they actually profile you from the time you book your ticket. If you get a mark on your boarding pass "SSS" at the bottom you are sent for a thorough body search in a separate area. Those of you carping on, clearly haven't travelled. But hey any excuse for a bit of hate speech!

jasons	15:28 - 31 Aug 09

well said intelligentsia! u hit the nail on the head!

johngalt	15:43 - 31 Aug 09

Leziaf. You cant argue with people that like this.They are deaf and dumb to facts about israel and no matter what, no matter if the whole world is up in arms about their sick baviour during wars etc, They first try to misdirect the argument - a old trick they have used since ancient times, then they scream ANTI-JEW or ANTI SEMITE. Its like catching a little pig. It ducks and misdirects and when you corner it, it screams so loud that you drop it and run away in confusion. Piggy lives another day

ninpoikkan	15:59 - 31 Aug 09

hey, dont forget, at least those "interrogated" passengers got to go to Israel, and arrived safely. All those screaming racism and profiling, ask yourself, how does a Jew get on a plane to any Arab country? Hmmm, not allowed, no interrogation, simply no ticket!!!! IS that not "profiling" in extreme?

johngalt	16:03 - 31 Aug 09

You use cheap airlines or you look funny. I fly to Dubai monthly with EMIRATES and have NEVER been profiled questioned or anything like that. They collect me with a driver at my home in CTown - to the Emirates Lounge - to the plane - to the private lounge - to my hotel in a merc. If some undercover israeli asks me questions i will advise him to go to hell on El Al. Ummm, such rif raf would now be allowed in the lounge. Such good treatment from "BAD" ARABS. Unthinkable. Shocking.

bobsabuilder	16:31 - 31 Aug 09

if im not mistaken, anyone with an israeli passport is not allowed into Dubai...hmmm but the arab countries are free of racial profiling? and as for racial profiling in our own country, black people forced into high positions beacuse of their past treatment..if this is so jews and israel should have every right to protect themselves because of their past treatment...

bobsabuilder	16:39 - 31 Aug 09

i know of many stories, including family members having wallets and valueables stolen out of the xray machines by the security personnel at OR tambo...and people flying must trust these people to protect us??? and yes these stories were taken to this show but denied...i wonder what makes this story more important to the citizens of the country..could it be racial profiling by carte blance itself?

mattcohen19	16:51 - 31 Aug 09

this makes me an even prouder jew. this just shows how el al looks after the state of israel which is under threat every single day. not only are they looking out for the jews but for eveyone. they are preventing terrorist attacks. i dont know which of you know, but south africa is now being used as a terrorist stop over. this was reported on the news a few months back. this jonathon is disgusting for stabbing el al in the back. they are doing a great job, carry on!

mattcohen19	16:51 - 31 Aug 09

Aaronm_09	17:09 - 31 Aug 09

It all comes down to looking at the entire picture. Yes, El Al has very strict security, but an argument can be made that they need it. Yes, they r questioning ppl (even SA citizens) at the airport, but if I'm not doing anything wrong I'd have no problem with answering a few questions. As to the searching of passengers, its a necessary precaution and something one has to accept when travelling. They weren't 'strip-searched', just removed their pants. The SA Constitution remains intact relax.

MarcF	17:11 - 31 Aug 09

This is very dissapointing that Carte Blanche takes a one sided view, although we saw the same thing with the war in Gaza. You CB should look at the list of donors that contributed to your 20 yr charity? I feel very safe flying ELAL, we should get these ''CIA FBI M15" type security to sort out the crime in the rest of our country. What lead to Jonathan dissmissal?? or was it 19 years of interrogating people that eventually got into his thick skull and realised that all of a sudden it was wrong?

Aaronm_09	17:23 - 31 Aug 09

I feel compelled to add that there is alot of negativity in this forum as well. Alot of racism. Many people refering to South Africa as a lost cause. Many people bashing the jews, and many people bashing the muslims. Its so unnecessary. Keep things in perspective. Compared to Myanmar, North Korea, or Somali, we have a pretty good country.

MarcF	17:31 - 31 Aug 09