Wizdom
31-10-10, 20:22
The security personnel of an Israeli airline have humiliated an American professor, asking her to remove her clothing and board the plane with no luggage.
Professor Heather Bradshaw, a neuroscience researcher at Indiana University, was invited by Hebrew University to take part in a conference in Israel, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday.
"Our guest arrived at Luton airport [in London] on Thursday in order to fly to Israel using [Israeli airline] El Al, and she was shocked to discover that straight away, the security personnel treated her as a terror suspect," said Haifa University professor Arik Rimmerman, who submitted filed a complaint with El Al on behalf of Bradshaw.
The American professor told the Israeli daily that she was not briefed on what she was suspected of.
After being questioned about the books in her suitcase, she underwent a 50-minutes physical examination.
The Israeli security forces asked her to remove her underwear, the report added.
"She presented numerous documents indicating the purpose of her visit and her passport -- which shows she had already been to Israel several times," said Rimmerman.
"The security personnel treated her and the documents she presented with utter disrespect."
The security personnel did not allow her to bring her luggage to the aircraft and was the last passenger allowed to board the plane. She was only permitted to take her passport and her credit cards with her.
She told Ha'aretz that she felt helpless and was holding back tears and that, upon arrival in Israel, no one from the airline could update her regarding her luggage and other belongings she was forced to leave behind.
Professor Bradshaw had travelled to Israel three times prior to the incident was never strip-searched before.
RZS/AKM/MMN
Professor Heather Bradshaw, a neuroscience researcher at Indiana University, was invited by Hebrew University to take part in a conference in Israel, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on Sunday.
"Our guest arrived at Luton airport [in London] on Thursday in order to fly to Israel using [Israeli airline] El Al, and she was shocked to discover that straight away, the security personnel treated her as a terror suspect," said Haifa University professor Arik Rimmerman, who submitted filed a complaint with El Al on behalf of Bradshaw.
The American professor told the Israeli daily that she was not briefed on what she was suspected of.
After being questioned about the books in her suitcase, she underwent a 50-minutes physical examination.
The Israeli security forces asked her to remove her underwear, the report added.
"She presented numerous documents indicating the purpose of her visit and her passport -- which shows she had already been to Israel several times," said Rimmerman.
"The security personnel treated her and the documents she presented with utter disrespect."
The security personnel did not allow her to bring her luggage to the aircraft and was the last passenger allowed to board the plane. She was only permitted to take her passport and her credit cards with her.
She told Ha'aretz that she felt helpless and was holding back tears and that, upon arrival in Israel, no one from the airline could update her regarding her luggage and other belongings she was forced to leave behind.
Professor Bradshaw had travelled to Israel three times prior to the incident was never strip-searched before.
RZS/AKM/MMN