Laptop Ban Lifted on all flights to the USA

For real security, the TSA needs to EMULATE Israel's security at airports. They are genius and worthy of replication.

The Huffington Post published an interesting piece on the excellence of Israeli security -- it doesn't include the tertiary blanket removal of shoes, belts and banishment of laptops for example. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to protecting travelers successfully.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/what-israeli-airport-secu_b_4978149.html

For real security, the TSA needs to EMULATE Israel's security at airports. They are genius and worthy of replication.

I wouldn't describe it as genius.

All vehicles that arrive at Ben Gurion must first pass through a preliminary security checkpoint where armed guards search the vehicle and exchange a few words with the driver and occupants to gauge their mood and intentions.

Try doing that at Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle or JFK, it'd be impossible. Israel can manage it because they simply don't have the volumes of people and traffic that other major airports have.

Ultimately it comes down to racial profiling as mentioned in the article. The Israeli authorities are simply much more open to the controversial concept than other nations and that is the likely answer for their success. Forget about the cameras, the patrols, the weight bridges, the "expert" army graduates, it all comes down to a bit of common sense and bias (unconcious or otherwise).

The US is not willing to pay the price for that kind of security. TSA agents (and private agents before them) cost less and don't require the type of training and education that Israel has, and they'd be too afraid to do the kind of profiling required. Personally, I don't think we need to have a top-of-the-line security system because we're not Israel. I'll settle for decent and competent...we get what we pay for, which isn't much.

As an employee of TSA it's not about spending money, it's about the American traveler. Most Americans won't stand for that type of treatment. We are too sensitive and don't want their "rights" violated. Check out all the YouTube videos featuring us. We are required to advise the traveler of every move we make. When traveling abroad most countries I have visited don't make advisements like we do. If you need to be patted down they just do it. No fuss required. Of course this is my personal opinion. Thanks

Israel's security is not comparable. AFAIK there's no additional security for flights to Israel, except on El Al itself. Security at the international airports here in Israel is based on profiling and is very expensive.

Okay - I just read the article Jim linked to. There was one sentence that gave me a jolt Vehicles are subject to a weight sensor, a trunk x-ray and an undercarriage scan. I've driven in and out of the airport dozens of time and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out where there was ever any of those things. I'm driving to Jerusalem tomorrow, which takes me past the airport. So if I have the time (and think about it), I'll take a detour and drive through the airport entrance checkpoint (the only place feasible for those things) and look around. One thing the article didn't mention is that there are no liquid restrictions. I haven't flown non-stop to the U.S. for many years, so there may be a liquids check at the gate for U.S.-bound flights. Anyway, that always makes me feel like the rest of the world is a little hysterical. One thing I really like about Israeli security is that they are consistently polite, helpful and pleasant.

I agree with Chani--Israel's security is thorough but not an unpleasant experience. Everyone i talked to was respectful and polite. No screaming, no bossing.

But there was no car search on arriving. I took a taxi to Ben Gurion. We stopped, the guard looked in, and waved us past.

As an example, last week going through JFK Pre-check line, I walked past the metal detector with no problem but then the alarm rang. I was chosen "randomly" to have my electronics checked.

Has this ever caught anyone? Isn't it more theater than anything else? If there is a problem seeing my electronics clearly because they are packed tight in a separate electronics case, that's understandable. But randomly checking people?

In Berlin, I was pulled aside because they saw something in my toiletry kit they thought was a liquid. They showed it to me on the monitor, I told them it was a solid deodorant, and they were satisfied.

Of course it is still better than my experience at Malpensa a few weeks ago. There was a "hen" party ahead of me and the bride to be was blindfolded so she didn't know where she was going. The people working at security thought this was great and so interested in the party that my bags literally went through the machine with no one even looking.