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Saturday, August 17, 2013

As an Arab in Israel: Reflections on Being Interrogated, Jailed, and Deported

81 hours, 6 flights, 5 hours of sleep, 3 countries, 1 ten-year ban.

Before this trip, I had never felt truly discriminated against as an Arab-American. I knew my father and especially my grandfather had experienced hostility, but it was never a problem for me. Sure, there was the occasional 9/11 joke or ignorant questions about bomb threats in high school, but nothing came close to this. My account of what happened to me in Tel Aviv may seem dramatic, but that’s just what happened. An absolutely humiliating and demoralizing experience.

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I arrived at Tel Aviv--Ben Gurion at 11:00 PM after a 24 hour voyage from Boston that included layovers at JFK and in Amman. I was going to do thesis research at the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, where my family and I had worked before in January. The plane landed a bit ahead of schedule, and I was excited that I would be able to get to Aida earlier and see everyone and possibly be awake for Iftar. Unfortunately, I never made it outside the airport.

Everything was fine up until passport control. I went up to the desk, smiled as I always do with strangers, and asked the officer how she was doing. She responded with these questions:
“What is your purpose for travel in Israel?”
“Tourism.”
“Where will you be touring?”
“Jerusalem, Haifa, Akka, Bethlehem.”
“What is your father’s name?”
“Andrew.”
“What is your grandfather’s name?”
“Amal.”
“Please step to the side.”

I didn’t hold my passport again until almost 20 hours later. I stepped to the side like she asked when an Ecuadorian man approached the passport control counter. He didn’t speak any English, so I offered to translate, hoping that it might tip the scales in my favor in terms of security. It did not. But I’m glad I was able to help him in some way.

A security officer arrived to the passport control desk, telling me to come with her. As always, I smiled and asked how she was doing. She responded by pointing to a small waiting room, where I waited alone until slowly, one by one, other Arabs and Middle Easterners joined.

At this point, I wasn’t worried. I didn’t think they would do any in depth searches of my name on the internet. I didn’t think a lot of things. I was naïve and thought my story was solid. I was staying with family friends in Jerusalem, a physician and a water expert, both Israeli, and had a written invitation in both Hebrew and English from them stating my plans. My mom had packed me a little booklet with this letter and other information regarding Jerusalem and the sights to see there. I thought that I would be fine because of this. If anything went wrong, our family friends would take care of it. My parents would take care of it. Their friends would take care of it. That’s what has always happened.

I waited for over an hour while all the other people were asked to come in and be interrogated. I drowned out the loud Arabic-English chatter with some Lana del Rey, trying to think about something other than how uncomfortable the airport chairs were. I thought not being asked into the security room was a good thing, until I realized that soon thereafter, all of the ones who were interrogated were given their passport and a horrifically fake smile and told to enjoy their trip, as if nothing had happened. One Palestinian man was particularly vocal about how this was clearly racial profiling, and antagonized the security workers whenever they came out from the office.

After a long time, (keep in mind that while Ben Gurion does have free wifi, it is not available in the “security” waiting room) I was called into one of the little interrogation rooms. It was 1:00 AM at this point, 2 hours after the flight from Amman had landed. The woman interrogating me was cold and condescending.

She asked me several questions about my family--where my parents were born, where my maternal and paternal grandparents were born, if I had been to the Middle East before, what my religion was, what I was going to be doing during my stay, if I knew any Israelis, if I knew any Palestinians, if I had ever been to the West Bank, if I spoke Arabic, why I had a second passport, why I was returning to Israel if I had just been there in January. All sorts of questions--I don’t remember them all. She asked me three times if I was certain that my father was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and when I said yes for the third time, she said she knew I was lying. Too bad for her; my papa was born in the Johns Hopkins hospital on October 12, 1958. She said I was lying when I said I was not Muslim. I said no, that I am not religious now but I was raised Catholic, that my great-uncles are monsignors and that my last name means the Eucharist.

She asked me where I would be staying during my trip. I replied in Jerusalem, with our Israeli family friend.

“How do you know her?”
“She’s a friend of my mom’s.”
“When did you meet her?”
“This summer.”
“When did she meet her?”
“This summer.”
“And she’s letting you stay with her?”
“Yes.”
“Most people don’t let others stay with them that easily.”
“Well why don’t you call her and hear her reasoning for it?”

I had an invitation from our family friend, who is a physician in Jerusalem, written in both English and Hebrew. I gave the security officer the clear plastic binder my mom had packed me. She looked through it and said:
“Why are you touring again if you were just here in January?”
“Because when we were here in January, the storm Olga hit, and it was hailing in Jerusalem and we didn’t get to see anything.”
“Prove that it was hailing.”

It’s not like I had photos of hail in Jerusalem with me. I told her the internet should do the trick instead, especially considering she probably experienced the storm. But she wouldn’t look it up, just like she wouldn’t call our family friend.

The interrogator asked me where else I would be staying during my trip besides Jerusalem, and I told her the truth: that my parents would be meeting me here in a week and that we were going to take a side trip to Haifa and Akka, and then we would be in Bethlehem until the 17th. She asked me for the names and numbers of all the Israelis and Arab-Israelis and Palestinians that I knew. When I only gave her 2, she told me to unlock my phone. I had no choice, so I did, and replied to a text from my mama. She immediately asked me in a harsh tone what I was doing and to give her the phone. She took my phone, and did who knows what with it for 10 minutes while she was on HER phone with her friend.

She doubted and questioned every response I gave. When I told her my family was meeting me in Israel in a week, she asked me why I didn’t fly with them. When I told her that it was cheaper, she asked me why I didn’t book with the rest of my family. These questions continued, each one more condescending than the last. She asked me where I was going after Israel and I responded that my family and I were going to Jordan. When she demanded to know how we were getting there, I told the truth, that I didn’t know and it was my parents’ department. She said I was lying again and dismissed me with a wave of her hand, not even looking up.

I walked out of the room, feeling defeated. All the other Arabs that had come into the waiting room with me had been let through. At this point I didn’t care whether or not I got in, I just wanted to be done with this nightmare. It was almost 3 AM--I had been interrogated for 2 hours.

I sat down on my bag against an uncomfortable stone wall so that I could charge my phone. Another American had been there since 11 PM, so we talked about our Middle Eastern heritage and how frustrating this was. His parents were from Afghanistan--he couldn’t believe how long I had been held even though both my parents and I had been born in the states. He was a bit older than me, on vacation from work. It was nice to be able to commiserate with someone, especially someone in such similar circumstances.

Our family friend from Jerusalem called, as well as our friends in the West Bank, all of them wondering what was going on. The friend in Jerusalem, Paula (name changed), wanted to speak with a security officer to find out what was going on. I walked into the office and saw several employees laughing and eating and talking on the phone with their friends. I finally managed to find someone who would talk to Paula on the phone, but the conversation didn’t lead to any new information. All they said was that they weren’t done doing the security check yet. At that point I hadn’t eaten since my layover in Jordan almost 12 hours earlier, so Paula demanded that they bring me food and water.

I was called back into the interrogation room for not even a minute before waiting another hour. The same woman asked me who had written the note on the post-it that was stuck to my clear plastic envelope. I told her my mother had, and pointed out that that’s why it was signed “Mom.” She said “Well I hadn’t read that far yet,” and dismissed me again.

I waited another hour, exhausted and hungry, before I was called back into the room for the last time. The interrogator asked me if I knew what this room was. I guess it was rhetorical, because before I could answer, she said “This isn’t customs. This is a security room to make sure that people like you will not be a threat to Israel.” I asked her dryly what she meant by “people like you,” and she just said “you know what I mean.”

I heard someone call out my name in a thick Hebrew accent and got excited that perhaps I had miraculously made it through security and I was going to get my passport and be told to have a good trip in Israel, but another officer just came into the room to give me a sandwich and a bottle of water. I looked inside and I know beggars can’t be choosers, but it was a cheese sandwich, and I’m lactose intolerant, so I wasn’t about to add to my discomfort. I had to take my medicine though, so I reached into my purse to get it when she snapped and asked what I was doing. Every single action that I did was questioned and scrutinized. Nothing I said was considered the truth. It’s a horrible feeling to know that no matter what you say, you will be doubted and branded as a liar.

The interrogator looked at me with cold eyes and said to me, “You know I know everything, right? I know more than you, and you will answer all of these questions truthfully without fail.”

And so it all came out. That my grandfather was born in Lebanon, that I had been there three times, that my dad grew up there, that I had been to the West Bank. She asked me what I was planning on doing in the West Bank, and I told her about my thesis and the grant I had received from Wesleyan. She doubted that I was writing a thesis on the sole assumption that undergrads don’t write theses. I finally convinced her once I shared the details and told her that if she had any questions she could contact my thesis advisor. The last question she asked me was,
"What is your stance on the conflict?"
"On Israel and Palestine? I am pro-peace."
"If you have been to the West Bank then clearly you are not."
"I don't see what my having been to the West Bank has to do with my stance on the conflict. I was taught that you must see things from both sides of an argument to make a rational decision, and I chose to support peace. I know that there are good and bad people in both Israel and Palestine. Yes, I am of Arab descent, but this does not cloud my judgment in seeing that peace is the best path."
The interrogator stared at me blankly and told me I could go back to the waiting room, and as I gathered my things I asked her how much longer it would be. She claimed she didn’t know, and I left and sat down in the same chair I had sat in over 5 hours ago.

It was 4:30 AM. I was exhausted and felt dirty, having been in nothing but airplanes and airports the last 30 hours. I asked a girl I recognized from before where the other American guy went, and she said he got through. I asked her where she was from, she said Belgium, so I immediately started speaking to her in French. It was so nice to be able to speak with someone around my own age and to be able to say whatever I wanted without fear that one of the security officers would be able to understand me. She was a very nice girl, named Melodie (name changed)--born and raised in Belgium but both her parents were from Morocco, hence why she was stopped for security. We talked about our backgrounds and our reasons for coming to the Middle East for a long time, until a security officer came up to me and said “Take all the papers out of your bag. We need all of your flight tickets.” I searched frantically and could only find my tickets from Boston to JFK and from Amman to Tel Aviv--not the one from JFK to Amman. I told her I couldn’t find the last one and she said I was lying and to look harder. I eventually just emptied out my purse and gave her all the papers that were in there, regardless of whether they were flight tickets or not. She snatched them and walked away before I realized that one of the papers in there was a note from my doctor saying that the bottle of Inositol powder I had in my carry-on was for medication purposes. I tried running after her to tell her but another security officer wouldn’t let me leave the room all of the sudden. I was confused, because I had been able to leave several times before to go to the bathroom. But then, a different lady emerged from the room, and it was all made clear.

“Okay, you have been denied entry. You--”
“What? I’ve been denied entry?”
“Yes. Now follow--”
“Why?”
“Security reasons.”
“...Can you be more specific? I feel like if I’m being denied entry I should at least know what my crime is.”
“I cannot tell you. It is security. Now wait here until someone escorts you to get your bags, and then you will be deported.”

I forgot all about my doctor’s note and immediately ran back to my chair and started bawling. Melodie hugged me for a long time, which was very comforting as I just felt so alone at the time. I started screaming in French that I hated Israel and that the security officers are racist towards Arabs and Middle Easterners and that I’m a 20-year-old student, what the hell could I do. Despite the tears and rage, I thought to myself that at least I was done being interrogated, and the worst would be over. I had texted my mom a few hours before, and she had replied saying that the worst that could happen is that I would get denied. We were far from right. I was pried from Melodie, demanded to pick up my bags and follow the security officer that had initially led me to the waiting room all those hours ago. We walked through passport control to baggage claim, with everyone looking at me like I was some sort of criminal. 

Once we got to baggage claim, we walked all over until I spotted my bag. I grabbed it and was led back to the entrance and asked to sit. I remembered our family friend being denied entry in January, and how she said she stayed overnight before she flew back out. I asked my ‘escort’ when I would be able to get to sleep, and not looking up from whatever game she was playing on her phone, she said “After you are searched.” I couldn’t believe that there was still more to this nightmare. I asked her when I would be getting searched, and she simply replied “Soon.” I had learned by this point that “soon” meant “whenever we feel like it,” so I wasn’t holding my breath.

Luckily this area of the airport had wifi, so I was able to contact my parents and everyone else that had been worried about me. My mom told me to be courteous to the officers, but there was no way in hell I was going to do that after the way they treated me. I was sobbing as I was typing, and a male security officer started walking towards me. Before he could say anything, I said to him:

“Am I going to get a refund for my flight here? It was expensive.”
“Just be grateful you’re getting a free flight back.”
“If it’s free, then why can’t I just travel straight to JFK from here?”
“Because you need to go back the way you came.”
“Why?”
“Because that is policy.”

I’d later find out that this policy was bullshit, just like all their other “policies.” They just wanted to get me out of Israel and didn’t care what I did after that. But the questions didn’t stop.

“Why did you go through Jordan instead of a direct flight?”
“Because I live in Boston, and there are no direct flights.”
“How did you get to Jordan?”
“Via JFK.”
“Well then why didn’t you take a direct flight to Tel Aviv from JFK?”
“Because it was too expensive.”
“What was the price difference?”
“How am I supposed to know?”
“You can’t give me any number?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was going to be quizzed on price differences.”
“Where are you going after this?”
“Well, I was supposed to go to Jordan with my family for two weeks to tour.”
“Where were you going to tour?”
“I don’t know. Petra. The Dead Sea. My parents know.”
“Petra and the Dead Sea usually just take a day or two to tour, why would you go for two weeks?”

I was tearing up during all these questions, but that last one was asked so condescendingly on his smug face that I just started crying hysterically.

“WHY DO YOU CARE???? What does it matter to you whether I spend two days or two weeks in Jordan??? I’m already being denied entry, STOP interrogating me.”

He just walked away while I continued to cry. I felt incredibly alone and hopeless, and just wanted to go to sleep. It was only 6 AM, but it felt like I had been waiting at baggage claim forever.

My ‘escort’ got up and said “Go.” She had me follow her to this room on the other side of baggage claim, a door that I’m assuming said “Personnel Only” or something in Hebrew. Past the door was a room filled with conveyer belts, security machines, and about 5 security officers. I was asked to bring my bags and put them on the tables. Almost immediately after I did so, I was asked to step into a separate room to be searched. I was made to take off my shoes and sweater and was then patted down by a female security officer. It was fine until she reached my hips. She pulled the waistband open to feel inside. I started shaking as her hands felt around and then moved to the back. I panicked and pulled my waistband tight towards me and my eyes started to well up. She snapped at me to calm down and left the room. I was shaking uncontrollably at this point, and then the woman came back with another female security officer to do a second security check. I asked her to please not touch me around my hips or thighs, and they demanded to know why. But I had no desire to tell them, no desire to mention my PTSD. I just wanted to be left alone. I refused to tell them why, and both of them felt under my waistband again. I had a mild panic attack--I was shaking and sobbing and once they left, I just collapsed in the chair in the little searching room. A different security officer came to get me, as apparently there was a problem with something in my bag.

I had a feeling what the problem was--my Inositol medication. It doesn’t explicitly say that it’s medication; it just says it’s a supplement. The man who interrogated me unnecessarily in baggage claim held it up to my face and asked me what it was.
“Medication.”
“Medication for what?”
“I have no obligation to tell you.”
“Well it says here that it is a supplement, so it is not essential.”
“Look, I’m telling you that it’s my medication, and I have to take it 3 times a day.”
“Where does it say this?”
“I have a doctor’s note. Can I get it from my bag?”

He nodded and I rummaged around my small pink purse trying to find the little note I had from my psychiatrist. And then I remembered--all the papers were taken out of my bag. I tried to explain this to the officer, but he said that it could be anything, why should he believe me?

“Why would I lie about needing to take medication?”
“I don’t know. You have lied about other matters, so how do we know you’re telling the truth?”
“I take this medication for OCD. I have my psychiatrist’s contact information--call him if you don’t believe me. But I need to have this with me at all times.”
“Well we can’t let you take this on your carry-on.”
“Why not? It’s a powder, not a liquid.”
“It is policy.”
“It’s bullshit.”

Everything in all of my bags was gone over with a security brush twice. Apparently all liquids in carry-on must be under 50 mL, not 3 fl. oz. When they grabbed my contact solution, I tried reasoning with them.

“I need to take that contact solution in my carry-on.”
“Why?”
“Because I wear contacts.”
“But you are wearing glasses now.”
“Yes, because I have been awake for over 30 hours.”
“Well then why do you need the contact solution?”
“Because at high altitudes, the solution leaks out of the contacts case, and I have to refill it every so often so that the contacts don’t dry out.”
“Why do you need to do this?”
“...so that I won’t be blind.”
“But you have glasses.”
“These are 2-week contacts. They’re brand new. I’m not going to throw them away.”
“Well, you can’t take the solution with you.”
“Fine. Is there anything else that I need that you would like to forbid me from taking?”

Of course, he didn’t answer, and I went to sit back down. They had me pack all my bags up once they finished examining and re-examining them, and I wasn’t allowed to touch the luggage I was going to check. I was exhausted. I was led back to the outside of the initial security waiting room and before long, two Ethiopian men showed up. They told me to come with them. I stopped for a second to text my mom and update her and they snapped at me.

“Do not use your phone.”
“Why not.”
“Because it is policy.”
“I’m texting my mom.”
“Put it away.”
“I’m texting my MOTHER. Don’t tell me that this is policy.”

I glared at them until they gave up and kept updating my mom. Once I was done, they told me to follow them, and I pushed my cart through a little door that led outside. It was bright--the sun had already come up.

We walked to a white van on the street and they grabbed my bags and threw them in the trunk. I sat inside and looked out the window while we drove for 5 minutes, in the vicinity of the airport. Once we pulled up, I could see that it was a white building with bars on all the windows and a cement courtyard. I was made to carry all three of my bags at once, and the men asked me what was taking so long. I responded with a mock apology.

“I’m sorry, it’s just a little difficult carrying three bags at once without any help.”

They ignored me and walked me into the building, one in front of me, one behind me. We went to a room with a lot of luggage, and they told me to leave my bags here. I started to gather some things from my bags, but they said it wasn’t allowed. I finally convinced them to let me take my teddy bear, a photo of my grandpa and me, and my toothbrush. When they weren’t looking, I snuck the small tube of my grandma’s perfume that I had. They examined all the items I was allowed to take, and then we went upstairs. At least it had air conditioning. I was wearing all black and I was hot and sweaty. I asked if I could shower, but one of the men said that it was too late to shower. I had taken my medicine with me as well, but they wouldn’t let me take it into the room. They told me I could leave it at the office outside the room, and when I needed it I could just go and get it, which seemed “reasonable” enough. I later realized that this, like their “policy,” was bullshit.

What happened next was like a scene from a movie. They pushed me into a room and slammed the door behind me. I turned around to ask when my flight to Amman would be, but I quickly realized that there was no door handle and it was locked on the outside. I banged on the door, but there was no response. I surveyed the room and saw writings all over the walls, in several different languages. Most of them said some form of “Free Palestine,” and others criticized Israel and its “democracy.” I noticed that there were 5 bunk beds, 4 of which were occupied by 8 women. The room, obviously not air-conditioned, was disgusting. My nose filled up with the stench of urine and smoke. There was a sink with toothbrushes and hairbrushes and some food, with flies buzzing overhead. The only window in the room was small--and it was covered with some wood panels and bars. I saw a small separate room with a toilet. I sat down on a free bed and realized that the “mattresses” were literally made of duct tape. Entirely made of duct tape, an inch thick. There was an itchy grey blanket with stains on it covering the bed, and no pillow. I wished I’d had my phone with me so I could have taken a picture of the disgusting conditions. I tried banging on the door again so that I could take my medicine, and out of the small window I saw a guard, but he turned around, flipped me off, and walked away.

I lied down and tried to go to sleep, but it was too hot and the smell was overwhelming. I was so glad I snuck my grandma’s perfume in; I was able to get relief from that for a bit. I had no idea what time it was, as I was not allowed to bring my phone. And then I realized that my tax dollars were paying for this. I remember trying to wake up, hoping this was all just a bad dream; a horrible nightmare. But try as I might, what was happening was an unfortunate reality.

I heard voices, and got up to see the women talking and walking around. They sounded like they were speaking Russian and that they all knew each other. I asked them for the time, but only one of them spoke English. It was 7 AM. She asked me why I was here, and I said that they had just said security. Like the others, she was shocked that I was denied entry as an American citizen. She told me that she was supposed to be visiting her boyfriend in Israel, but for some reason they wouldn’t let her in. I never found out for sure if all of the women were traveling together, but it seemed like they all knew each other. They were all from Romania, and they would be there until their flight on Monday. I couldn’t believe that they would have to endure this nightmare for 2 more days.

Most of them got out of bed and one of the women went near the window to have a cigarette, adding to the vomit-worthy smell of the room. I noticed they were all in their bras and panties since it was so hot, and figured it would be okay for me to undress as well. I had been wearing the same clothes for so many hours; I felt gross. It was hot and muggy in the room and I was in all black. Taking my clothes off gave me some relief until I realized that it meant my bare skin would be touching the duct-tape mattress and stained blanket. But I was so hot and sweaty I didn’t care. I tried to get some sleep, but the women in the room had stopped whispering and begun talking loudly, adding to my headache.

I guess I still managed to doze off for a bit though, because the next thing I knew the door was slammed open and a male guard came in. I was mortified--the bed I was resting on was right in front of the door, so the guard very clearly saw me in my bra and thong. What happened next was worse. I didn’t know what was going on, but I saw the other women putting on their clothes, so I started to dress myself as well. And then I noticed that the male guard was still in the room, ogling us. It was disgusting. I asked him to leave, but he just responded, “What’s taking you so long, princess?” I gathered all my things and we were led outside to a “courtyard,” basically a caged in area outside with a cement floor and a few chairs. It was surrounded by a tall chain-link fence. I asked if I could stay outside of the courtyard in the shade, but they said no and pushed me inside, and then locked the gate. I guess this was our allotted “activity time.” I don’t know why I had brought my things with me--I guess I was delusional and thought that I was leaving.

After some time, (5 minutes or a half hour; it didn’t matter), the gate was opened and we were led back inside to our room, the door slammed shut after I walked in. I had no idea when I would be leaving this place, or when my flight back to Jordan would be. I banged on the door, and someone finally answered. I asked if I could make a phone call, and he said it depends.

“Who do you want to call?”
“I’d like to call my parents. They haven’t heard from me in several hours.”
“Where are they?”
“The United States.”
“You can only make phone calls to Israel here.”
“Well then can I use my phone? I can make international calls from it.”

We went downstairs to the luggage room and after a bit more convincing, he allowed me to call my parents, provided I stay in a spot where I was no more than three feet away from him in view of four different security cameras. I spoke with my parents for a few minutes, but I barely remember what I said because I was so delirious. I can’t imagine I said much, seeing as the security guard was literally standing three feet away from me listening to my every word. But it was so calming to hear their voices and to hear someone say “I love you.”

The guard told me my time was up, and I asked if I could call our family friend in Jerusalem. I reasoned that I was supposed to be staying with her, so I should at least be able to tell her what happened. He allowed me to use an office phone for 3 minutes, timed, and I explained as much as I could to Paula. I still had to be cautious as he was listening to this conversation as well. When I was done, we went back upstairs, and he started making small talk with me.

“Are you American?”
“Yes. Can you tell me why I’m here? What did I do wrong?”
“This is a jail. It’s a prison. So if you are here, then you definitely did something to deserve it.”
“Okay, I understand. But what did I do to deserve it?”
“I can check your file if you like. Wait here.”
He came back and said, “There is footage of you with a terrorist.”
“...excuse me?”
“There is footage of you with a terrorist.”
“Um...could you tell me who?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“If I don’t know, and you ‘cannot’ tell me, then it’s clearly bullshit.”
“I cannot give you any more information. You are in jail here because there is footage of you with a terrorist.”

My eyes were already welling up listening to myself be referred to as a criminal. But what he said next made me burst into tears.

“You know that you are banned from Israel for ten years. But this really means forever.”

I couldn’t even say anything after that, I was sobbing so hard. I would never get to go back to Aida camp in Bethlehem and see all of my friends there. I’d never again get to see the neighborhood in Haifa where my grandfather grew up, never be able to set foot on the Haifa beach where he used to spend his afternoons. I would never be able to pay a visit to my great-grandmother’s grave. Never be able to go back to Palestine.

It was a hard pill to swallow.

I walked back into the room still crying and squeezed my teddy bear and the photo of my grandpa. I curled up on the duct tape mattress and reflected on the last 40-something hours of my life. I just wanted to be out of this prison, out of this country, and out of this nightmare.

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An hour or so later, I was deported from Israel. I was driven directly to the runway where the security guards literally put me in my seat, and my passport was handed over to a flight attendant. The flight attendants on Royal Jordanian were very nice to me--the one that had my passport ended up being on my flight from JFK to Amman en route to Lebanon a few days ago. Unfortunately, the first thing I had to do once I landed was pay for my flight from Tel Aviv to Amman. “Free flight back,” my ass. I couldn’t get my passport back until I did that. But again, everyone at the Amman airport was very nice to me. I was able to stay at a family friend’s place for the night and it was wonderful. They were so welcoming and caring--just what I needed. It was great to be able to shower, eat real food, and sleep in a real bed for the first time in almost 48 hours. I was able to see Amman too, at least for a few hours at night. It was very active even after midnight due to Ramadan. We went out for some delicious food and tea at a rooftop cafe with some live music, and of course, I had arghile. And the next morning, I headed home to the states, and began writing this on the plane.

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When I got back, I felt so hopeless and defeated. It was a horrible experience and I’ve had nightmares about it ever since I got back, waking up in a cold sweat. But after reflecting on it, I am glad that I went through it--only in that it has at least given me a little bit of insight at what many Palestinians go through every day. What happened to me doesn’t even compare. But the last thing I want to do now is back down. I want to share my experience as a chance to let others know that this is only a fraction of what Palestinians endure. The pictures at the bottom are some charts of the judicial system for Palestinians, and infographics of political prisoners. If you are interested in seeing more charts like these, please click here.

All in all, the way I see it, if someone reads this and gains a better understanding of how horrific the occupation is, I am glad that this happened.

If you find this post insightful in some way, please share it.

Thank you very much for reading. This post is dedicated to my grandfather, Amal Kalim Kurban, who taught me to be brave and stand up for what I believe in, to the Palestinians that I know and don't know who have been subject to the horrors of the occupation, and to Palestine, where my heart is.


Carina Caligiuri Kurban




102 comments:

  1. (I was going to comment on facebook, then I thought I should comment here, so whenever you go back you see that someone did read your post-you can never retrieve anything on fb.)

    I actually don't have much to say except that what happened to you is surreal. I am so sorry you had to go through it and I'm so sorry that Israel exists! I have Jewish friends, and a particular good Jewish American friend and we once had a small "argument" about Israel and I pretty much told her that her and I will never see eye to eye on anything Israel-related and so we should just drop it.

    It's always going to be fascinating to me that you're only "quarter" Arab but you might be one of the most proud Arabs I know. You are immersed in Arab culture more than many living-in-Arab-countries Arabs I know. I remember thinking this when we met 2 years ago. And now it seems that the world thinks so too. You are Arab. If a fraction of you is, then you'll never escape it.

    I'm glad it's over, I'm glad you're okay and you'll always be the only Arab American I know who got jailed in Israel :)

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  2. This sounds really terrible, I am really sorry this happened. It's my biggest fear every time I get to Israeli immigration control, not being allowed to go back to Palestine. I know that what you say it's true, that Palestinians endure worst things on a daily basis, and that we endure this sort of experiences voluntarily (sort of). But at the same time, on a personal level it must be really hard to go through this sort of utterly humiliating deportation, even more so in your case, having a family connection with Palestine.

    Inshallah you'll be able to go back soon. :)

    Signed: the girl who almost broke your head with a microphone at Lajee Center in January.

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  3. This is just horrible, the more I read the more shocked and confused I became. I honestly congratulate you on the way you reacted and dealt with everything that happened to you, I think that if I was in your situation I probably wouldn't have been able to cope with what was happening and just shut down.
    I really like that you took this as a way of understanding the terrible and inhumane injustices that the Palestinian people go through every day .
    As someone who lives in Lebanon, its refreshing to see someone take a stance and see everything this way.
    I hope that nothing like this ever happens to you again, and would like to thank you for writing such a great piece.

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  4. This sounds absolutely awful, I'm so sorry you've had to go through this!

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  5. it's horrible that you had to endure this, and it's true that many palestinians endure this kind of treatment routinely. it's amazing how they believe what they're doing is in the name of "democracy" and "security" for a country that wasn't theirs to begin with. what's even sadder is the blind that's been turned for this issue, as a result of the holocaust. yes, the holocaust was a terrible, senseless crime, but what they're doing with the palestinians is repeating history in a new location with a new oppressor. so much for evolution.

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  6. I'm so sorry that this happened to you and that racial profiling is such a common practice in Israel.

    I lived in Israel for three years as a dependent of my father who worked at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. As I read your story I couldn't help thinking that if you could have some how contacted the US Embassy they would have at least had some sway with the security officials. As an American citizen, it is the Embassy's obligation to help you and they will work with the Israelis to accomplish that.

    I realize that its not much help now, but I hope other people traveling to Israel, or anywhere that racial profiling is commonplace, to remember that there are people there who are on YOUR side and whose purpose is to help YOU. Please, please, please try to contact the US Embassy when in a foreign country under duress because they can help! Be prepared and find the local number for Post 1 BEFORE you travel.

    Once again, I am so deeply sorry for you and all those who have suffered from senseless brutality.

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    1. Calling the American embassy would not have made a difference. Other Arab-Americans who have gone through this nightmare and who were actually were able to contact their embassy have been refused help.

      Example:
      http://mondoweiss.net/2012/06/us-embassy-to-american-in-trouble-in-israel-youre-not-jewish-then-we-cant-do-anything-to-help-you.html

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    2. I am still mystified. Why was there no Wesleyan University support in Tel Aviv? Please do not tell me there are no Wesleyan alums in either Tel Aviv or Israel? Why wasn't this support set up in advance? Why has there been no statement from the University demanding financial retribution, a chance to do research and an written apology? If it were ANY other country, Wesleyan would not stand for this. It's time to rename Wesleyan "Birthright U" (And yes, you are right, I did fumble with names, but this one really stands out. Imagine how much the odious Sheldon Aldelson would give. WHere is Michael Roth and why isn't he protecting his students?

      And before you use the rather ignorant term "anti-Semitic?" My family is full of people of Jewish descent. They just aren't Zionists.

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    3. Mary Hughes ThompsonAugust 28, 2013 at 10:14 PM

      It would be a waste of time to phone the U.S. Embassy. They would probably not even respond to you, and if they did it would be to tell you thee was nothing they could do to help you. America is enslaved by Israel. I am so sorry you went through this dreadful experience. I too was interrogated for over eight hours by the Gestapo at BG Airport. There is no humanity to be found there.

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  7. It is my hope that more and more people will be able to read posts such as yours and learn of the true conditions as well as the manner you were treated and hopefully Americans will be able to clear some of the dust from their eyes. I was even more horrified to think that in all that time you were apparently unable to contact the US Embassy and/or they did nothing to help you. I for one will be sharing this on Facebook.

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  8. Carina, your story, very wrenching, serves the bigger purpose you were empathetic to highlight" "The Daily Endurance; the Plight of the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation;" yet, as an America, it equally sadly points out to the blind bias of our government in intervening on behalf of their American citizens when grossly wronged, like yourself, by the largest recipient foreign country, Israel, of our American tax-payers foreign donations.

    God bless you

    Rajai Masri

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  9. Thank you so much for sharing. We will make your story known via www.righttoenter.ps.

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  10. You can only blame Arab suicide bombing and Arab terrorism for this situation. It is you and people like you to be blamed for not stopping terrorism.

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    1. Keep it up, because this is just the kind of ridiculous crap Arab-Americans have to deal with all the time and it should be brought to light so that "liberal" white Americans can stop dismissing hate toward Arab-Americans as "isolated" cases.

      So far, U.S. Presidents, with all the resources in the world, have waged a "War On Terror" but have not declared victory. And yet, it is a 20-year-old college student who should be blamed for "not stopping terrorism"?

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    2. The Anonymous' Comment that only Arab Suicide bombing and Arab terrorism to blame is totally unrelated to a story told by a young innocent student that Israel's advocates use as a scapegoat by a state, Israel, that continues to Occupy Palestinian lands in violation of the International Law, the UN Resolutions, the Geneva Conventions and the International Court of Justice Resolutions. It is the policy of Apartheid, active colonialism and the expropriation of Arab lands to construct illegal Jewish settlements on them. It is the daily terrorizing of innocent Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the Occupied territories to be blamed. Wake-up, rather cease to invoke such silly platitudinous responses to far deeper embedded system of injustices and Active Apartheid policies enacted by the Israeli government; just read President Carter's book on Israel's Apartheid and Noble Pease Noble Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tuto referring to Israeli Apartheid as worst than what was practiced by the South African White Rule.

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    3. What I wrote is correct but what you wrote is like avoiding the subject. Yes, I repeat. Arab Americans as well as Arab non-American are blamed, including the 20 year old student. As I said all Arabs who don't approve the Arab 'methods of doing business', ((Arab violent behavior). Show me one Arab country that let one single Christian live in peace. On the other hand I can show you millions of Arabs living n Christian countries living in peace.

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    4. Whoever you are dear anonymous, its people like you with their negative energy who overestimate their intelligence that make sharing such experiences a hateful gateway for their frustration, please do keep your unwanted opinion to yourself.

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    5. I suspect that anonymous (who obviously doesn't want us to know who he/she is because it would give away the fact that they are an Israeli agent!) has never actually spoken to a Palestinian Arab and is responding on the basis of what he/she has been told ... Shame on you for being such a coward - tell us your name or shut up!

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    6. LOL. <>

      Looks like Israel's $300 million social media "PR" campaign has begun.
      Good luck with that!
      And please get yourself an education.
      There must be a library somewhere near your gated suburban community.

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    7. Allright, anonymous #13, tell us about all the countries where Arabs can live in peace? The United States? Not a chance. Europe? Not a chance (treated so well by the always tolerant French). You're not going to humiliate yourself and contend that the Israelis treat Palestinians as humans, are you? Perhaps they told you that at Hebrew grade school, dear, but it's just not true. Look up what Desmond Tutu said about Israel. Israel has one ally: American evangelicals, who believe Israel must exist for the Second Coming of Christ. At which point, they will all theoretically be slaughtered.

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    8. You can't work any harder than that? A woman who is doing her Senior Thesis, has previously volunteered to provide clean water to refugees is treated llke an Al Queda operative by the Gestapo Israelis and the best you can do is accuse all Arabs of being terrorists? Were you raised in a Kahane commune?

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  11. This breaks my heart - again and over. There are so many others who shared your horrible experience. Unfortunately, most cases go unnoticed because they don't go public. Thank you for sharing your story because it will help campaigning against this practice (no law, no declared policy, just arbitrary terror against helpless individuals). The nightmare is not over yet - as your story shows.
    You are a wonderful, extremely brave and proud young woman! With great admiration,
    Anita Abdullah

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  12. If this behavior occurred in an American school yard today, it would be recognized as bullying and racist. Being done by the military with the support of the governments, both US and Isreali it is intentional terrorizing. African Americans go thru this daily in the US. It is always the same; it is always disgusting. Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope writing about it helps with your healing.

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  13. They probably have video of you in Aida camp where you suggest you have many friends. Your story is BS. Your Israeli interrogators have a lot more data on you than you know, but even a basic search reveals this about you:

    "Carina Caligiuri Kurban, Student Wesleyan ’14; Co-founder 1for3.org; Co-founder WeSJP, Wesleyan Students for Justice in Palestine"

    SJP is a rabidly anti-Israel organization. You being a cofounder of such an organization would suggest to me that you are a security risk. Your treatment has little to do with you being an Arab. It has everything to do with you being involved in groups that are explicitly hostile to Israel while trying to get back to your 'friends' in the Aida camp.

    And then there is that whole story about going to Jordan while a basic search of the internet suggest that you were on your way to south Lebanon after spending time in Aida.

    "Carina worked in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem over winter break with her family’s nonprofit organization (1for3.org), researching ways to bring better access to clean water to the camp. She is a cultural psychology major studying languages and emotions, and she is especially interested in the many different cultures in Lebanon and Palestine, where her father’s family is from. This summer, she will be returning to Aida Camp in Bethlehem and the Al-Buss refugee camp in Tyre, Lebanon, to volunteer and collect research for her thesis."

    So, they appear to have caught you in a lie. The whole thing sounds like a BS cover story to people who have no particular obligation to let you into their country. I am hardly surprised you got expelled by the Israelis. Next time write something not easily debunked using Google.

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    1. Dear anonymous, how exactly bored are you in your life to start harassing and virtually stalking a random person with an article? Don't know whether to pity you or feel sad about your situation, but one thing for sure, I suggest porn, its such a better way to channel your inner BS ;)

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    2. hahahahaaaaaa.
      And another shlep from Israel's "PR" campaign payroll has arrived!
      So a university student who co-founded a nonprofit devoted to bringing clean drinking water to poor people is a "security risk"?
      And going to Lebanon for vacation is a crime?
      These responses aren't even intelligent.
      Wish I could tell whichever used-car salesman-type is running the PR campaign that he is not getting his money's worth!

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    3. Every time I've written something critical of Israel on the internet, I get all kinds of hateful comments. I'm not even an Arab or a Muslim, just an American. Israel must pay for all kinds of people to post on the internet, just like the US right wing does.

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    4. It does. There is an entire crew devoted to English Al Jazeera. There are also an extraordinary number of students at Wesleyan (where this young woman was doing her Senior Thesis - kids do them all over the world) who have gone on the odious Adelson's Birthright Israel tour, have only lived in Zionist communities, and then go to Wesleyan, which is essentially Zionist. It is incredibly sad in a way - if you start to teach children to hate others when they are very, very young, it is almost impossible for them to change or see anyone else's perspective. These are reasonably smart kids (except for all the boarding school slots and legacy slots) who actually believe the IDF propaganda machine - which surpasses any in history. Perhaps she was not allowed in because she might report some truth. Foreign journalists are not welcome in the democratic state of Israel.

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    5. Absolute nonsense. Supplying clean drinking water is a terrorist act? It is considered a human right, according to the UN. The organization that this woman belonged to showed films - one which was a love story and another which was narrarated by well-known terrorist Alice Walker. The organization has also demonstrated peacefully at other campuses.

      Are you alleging that this student was not in Israel to do a Senior Thesis? I find this highly doubtful. First, a thesis has to be approved by a chairman and a committee - that seems pretty easy to check. Second, if she planned on graduating, it would not make a lot of sense to take her senior year off. This isn't just a personal issue - she was a Wesleyan University student, doing research, and she should have the protection of the university.

      It will be interesting to see if she does (since Wesleyan basically runs on Zionist dollars). If she does not, I suggest Wesleyan rename itself, since it has essentially become a suburb of Brooklyn anyway. If Michael Roth refuses to stand for what is right and protect all of his students, why doesn't he try "Haifa U, Middletown branch?" I would love to see how many applicants he gets next year. He can't have it both ways. And you clearly know enough about the university to know that a student would not be approved for travel or research without plans and preparations. The Israelis were simply afraid of what this undergraduate might photograph or write. How far the mighty IDF has fallen. Good luck on that name, President Roth. This issue isn't going away. If you cannot protect your students, at $250K a diploma, what good are you? Go into fundraising for the ECI.

      And again, seriously? The best you can do is use Google and come up with helping provide clean water for a refugee camp. You've got to either be legacy, boarding school slot, or both.

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    6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tIhqzqV2z0

      Anonymous Google Scholar: You might like to look this over. It is a youtube of Carina working in Africa (Rwanda, I believe) on water rights. Quite beautiful. I do not believe she was in Rwanda for terrorist purposes. This young woman is EXACTLY what Wesleyan tries to helps its student achieve and Carina is exactly the type of student who embodies what Wesleyan purports to stand for. So where is the university backing? And explain to me how this is terrorist activity. It is not. It is humane activity and she was stopped by the Israelis for trying.

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    7. "Carina,

      You are a true citizen of our world. Your heart, your courage and your strong passion to help those less fortunate than yourself is remarkable for anyone - let alone a woman of your young age. And like you, I am in love with Gitwe and all those beautiful children.
      Liz Desmarais,
      Executive Director
      Medical Missions for Children, Inc. (MMFC.org)".... from her work in Rwanda.

      This does not sound like a terrorist to me. It sounds like a humanitarian. If only there were more young women like her.

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    8. Anonymous Google Scholar: You are an endless source of misinformation. 1for3 has nothing to do with terrorism. It is about clean drinking water. It is not political. It is not religious. You somehow neglected to provide us with any of this information.

      You are opposed to clean drinking water for children? Or for the elderly? Or for nursing mothers? I am not and apparently this remarkable young woman isn't either.

      Carina - good for you. The more I actually learn about you, the more impressed I am. Do not give up. I find it unbelievable that Wesleyan University is willing to put out a youtube with its official logo - on your project, but I have yet to see support from the university on this. It is going to come. You are exactly what we need in this world. And good for your parents too - for raising a young woman who cares about more than herself.

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    9. To Unknown: bibi's scholar plan to troll the comment boards.

      http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.541142

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  14. Would the anonymous repetitively using the BS word have the courage to reveal his/her identity or like bats fly only blinded in the dark

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  15. Thank you for sharing your story. My hope is that one day this happens to nobody and that there is a lasting peace between equal states of Palestine and Israel.

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  16. 1) Israel immigration personnel are not that great at “courteous customer service”. They are being trained to be better but they still have a way to go.
    2) It is virtually 100% certain that there is no way Ms.Kurban as a U.S. citizen would have been denied entry to Israel unless the immigration officials had some piece of evidence to reject her. Israel is a democracy that runs on the rule of law just like the United States. She could easily sue Israel in the court of law for her purported injustice and if Israel was unable to produce evidence to support its claim for denial of entry then she could win the suit and receive damages (i.e. compensation for her lost trip and expenses). In her story she claims that one of the Israeli officials told her that they had security cam footage of her with a terrorist on its watch list. Perhaps on Ms. Kurban’s first trip to the West Bank, when she apparently had no problem getting into Israel, she was in the company (intentionally or unintentionally) of a terrorist watch list suspect that Israel was surveilling.
    3) Since she apparently didn’t voluntarily disclose this contact initially the situation escalated and the Israeli immigration officials suspected her of lying.
    4) In the end, Israel has the right just like the United States or any other country to choose whom to let enter its boundaries.

    To me, it sounds like Ms. Kurban was caught up unintentionally in an awful unfortunate situation. Perhaps if she hadn’t been in the company of a watch list suspect on her first trip or if she had taken a direct flight to Israel from New York instead of first going through Amman or if she had disclosed more information in her responses, then the Israel immigration officials wouldn’t have taken such draconian security measures. It is very unfortunate that Israel is forced to take such measures because Israel’s enemies often use women, children, U.N. workers, ambulances etc.. to evade security as couriers and attackers against the Jewish State.

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    1. You are quite wrong to try to find a rational explanation for this outrageous situation, or to make excuses for Israel. This happens all the time to people who have done NOTHING wrong except for being born with Arab genes. I have read many accounts like this, and talked to people it happened to. Yes, American citizens too. I doubt very much that she was "in the company of a watch list suspect on her first trip" - that is just an invention of the Israelis to discriminate against her.

      You seem to be stuck in the times of the suicide bombings, which Hamas stopped eight years ago. And no, they didn't stop because of the 'separation fence', which is breached numerous times daily by Palestinians sneaking into Israel to work. If they wanted to bring in bombs they could, but they clearly don't want to. There has NEVER been a case of an ambulance being used to transport weapons etc. The one time the IDF said that one was used to transport rocket launchers, they were forced to retract that statement later when the 'launchers' turned out to be rolled-up stretchers. There have never been child suicide bombers, etc. I could go on, but why bother? You are obviously not interested in the truth, or else you are just completely brainwashed.

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    2. You're right; this is exactly what she should do:

      << She could easily sue Israel in the court of law for her purported injustice and if Israel was unable to produce evidence to support its claim for denial of entry then she could win the suit and receive damages (i.e. compensation for her lost trip and expenses). >>

      Because that ^ is the only language that might be understood.

      People in the US have had enough of this crap.
      And we are paying the bill for it (figuratively and literally).

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    3. She could "easily sue"? Not at all. Aside from the time and resources it would require, the State of Israel will always fall back on the "security" excuse for not disclosing/discussing the issue. They learned that from America.

      Most of the time at these interrogations, you are not allowed to write anything down, take photos, get anyone's name, etc. Then when you turn around and make a complaint afterwards, you are told that unless you can name names or provide documentation, they can't verify anything or "can't respond to this specific allegation." Israel border crossings know how to keep travelers powerless both during and after these humiliating events.

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    4. Anonymous 123, You seem to believe that we will take your opinions as fact, based on virtually no evidence and no references. Are you Israeli by any chance? Try again, and try to prove any of what you say. Because even reading English-language Israeli papers (and European papers) has taught me that virtually everything you assert is nonsense. Of course the Israelis would hold someone without due cause - they do it all the time. No one who is remotely interested in Palestine or even a neutral journalist who would like to write about Palestine can enter either Israel or certainly not Palestine. Not if they are American. Your information is ridiculous.

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    5. "Israel is a democracy that runs on the rule of law just like the United States." Really? No it doesn't. The only fools who believe that are either Zionist-bred from the cradle or American evangelicals - who want to make sure you survive for the Second Coming of Christ. Oh, and then there is that unfortunate pro-Israeli donor-bloc. But even they don't believe it - they just don't care. If it's not in Brentwood or the Upper East Side how could it impact them?


      And after the recent NSA revelations do you really want to use the United States as a paragon of human rights and justice?

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    6. No we should use the Arab countries as paragons of justice! We know what happens to Arabs who are SUSPECTED of aiding the enemy. In Gaza, they get killed and their bodies tied to cars, which are driven around town! So they may serve as examples to others.

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    7. So are you are one of Bibi's gentleman scholars? Because I have heard that same tripe over and over and over.

      The question is this: what is Israel? Certainly not a state where justice and equality and even humanity are valued. A rogue state - with no allies beyond American evangelicals - and this young woman's story is living proof of that.

      The dream is dead - Israel went beyond South Africa decades ago. You have looked into the abyss and become the abyss - there is no justice. There is no humanity. There is no equality. And it only grows worse with each generation as you are taught more and more hatred and encouraged to steal more and more land. You are blind to humanity. And so tough? Go it alone. Without American aid and American support.

      What are you so afraid of? Why are journalists denied entry into Israel? Why are international humanitarians denied entry into the Occupied Territories? What was this woman's crime? Nothing. Not even identified - what do you call a government like that? Facist.

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  17. That was a hard read, but I am so glad I persevered. Words cannot express how I feel about such brutal treatment of a young person whose only "crime" in reality is to be part-Arab. I honour the fact that you took the time to write all this and force yourself to relive the terrible treatment you were subjected to. Please be assured that there are people all over the world (I am in UK) who cannot understand how Israel continues to to treat people just as it wishes, with absolutely no justification in fact whilst the world stands idly by and pretends that it is the most moral country in the Middle East! Someday all this will change and it will receive the due reward of its terrible behaviour. Bless you for sharing, I'm sure it wasn't easy.

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  18. You know, this happens not only to US citizens. It happens on a regular basis to Israeli citizens with "Arab" sounding names, as when they are named after their grandparents who grew up elsewhere in the Middle East. I know for a fact something similar to the first 4 hours or so happened to an Israeli Brigadier General with an "arab" middle name. It was only after he showed his identity card as a general that they let him go and apologized: "oh you just should have showed us", to which he replied: "I shouldn't have to."

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  19. its an eye opener for any1 even remotely close to the arab world that we are born to be scrutinized.

    It has happened to many of us at many places but the level of cheapness and inhumanity u face is beyond my understandings. Just wondering what would be happening to the people who are stuck there, in those 4 walls for years..

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  20. But you are a bunch of liars, think of a liberal white American woman trying to enter Saudi Arabia. What kind of an experience is she going to get there? And this is not about a radical activist trying to harm the country.

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    1. I don't know what you may be imagining about Saudi Arabia, but I can guarantee you an American university student would not have been subjected to the treatment described in the blog above while going through Customs at the airport.

      And if something like this did happen -- in Saudi Arabia -- that is no excuse.

      Saudi Arabia does not claim to be the "only democracy in the Middle East."
      Saudi Arabia was not built/is not propped up with billions of US tax dollars and billions more in private donations and investment "seed" money from American individuals and nonprofits.
      Saudi Arabia does not use US veto power to ignore/evade UN resolutions and basic international law.

      In other words, your reference to Saudi Arabia is a stupid defense.
      It seems unfortunate that because of its primitive behavior Israel has dropped to the level of being compared with Saudi Arabia.

      Defending this kind of stuff - which is indefensible - just helps dissolve the decades of goodwill built up by Israel's "pioneers."
      If you love the place I'd think twice about doing that.

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  21. Thank you so much for posting this and sharing your nightmare. I have been back and forth several times (I'm also a researcher), but I doubt I will ever try again. I don't want to stop visiting Palestine, but I cannot bear the idea of going back to Israel. It's overwhelming.

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    1. I understand your position, but that is exactly what they want / why they do this.
      They don't want educated, academic types to visit Palestine - especially Americans, and especially those from well-respected schools like Wesleyan - because they don't want them to see/relay what is going on.
      So if you don't go back, they have succeeded.

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    2. "I understand your position, but that is exactly what they want / why they do this.
      They don't want educated, academic types to visit Palestine - especially Americans, and especially those from well-respected schools like Wesleyan - because they don't want them to see/relay what is going on.
      So if you don't go back, they have succeeded."

      Excellent point. It would be incredibly hard to go back, but perhaps this time this young woman would actually have the full support of the "well-respected" Wesleyan. There is no doubt in my mind that all it would take would be a single phone call. She was not just failed in human rights and decency by the Israelis.

      Please try again. Your story is exactly the reason we need real information coming from Israel and Palestine - the truth, not propaganda. What a brave young woman.

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  22. This was a horrible experience and I am very sorry it happened to you. It's all the worse because you were going there to help people.

    I am very surprised that all the comments seem to be either "pro-Israel" or "pro-Arab". Cannot we agree on a few facts? Israel has a right to defend its borders. Israel behaved very badly in this case and often does behave very badly in its racial profiling and mistreating of visitors. There are some people who are terrorists and some of them are of Arab descent. Most Arabs are not terrorists. There are people in the occupied territories who are being treated extremely badly and unfairly by the occupying country. There are people in the occupied territories that have had their lives made miserable and complicated due to the occupation.

    I think the above are facts. They are not contradictory but a lot of people seem to only choose the facts that fit their own narrative. To ever achieve peace we need to understand each other and help each other achieve the goal of a 2 state solution and not malign each other. Each side has its RIGHT and WRONG and I think we should be on the side of PEACE for all.

    Hopefully the peace talks that are going on now will achieve this goal. Let's hope.

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    1. To the person above:
      You sound like a nice/intelligent person; fair, thoughtful.
      But based on some of what you wrote ("Israel has a right to defend its borders" ... "I think we should be on the side of PEACE for all. ...Hopefully the peace talks that are going on now will achieve this goal") you also seem a bit naive on this topic.

      I won't get into the "peace talks" (other than saying they are complete joke and have never been anything else). But I will touch on the comment that "Israel has a right to defend its borders."

      This incident was intimidation, pure and simple -- nothing to do with "defending borders" or "security."
      They were bullying and hassling - and degrading - a college student because she is involved in human rights work. They know this not from hi-tech super-duper "anti-terror ops" but from scanning silly social media pages like Facebook and using plain old Google search.

      This kind of harassment verges on the psychotic, happens all the time, and has resulted in some really grisly outcomes (eg the death of Rachel Corrie, another 100% American citizen, like Carina, also a college student, also working in human rights).

      So it is not ok; it's corrupt; it's obnoxious; it's an abuse of power; and in any truly developed/democratic country it would be illegal as well. And as mentioned in the piece, as Americans we are supporting it with our tax dollars (and in every other way imaginable) so we should feel responsible for what goes on.
      Every time our infamous proxy pulls this kind of stuff it makes a laughingstock out of so many self-proclaimed U.S. "institutions" (and yes we crucify many of those ourselves - especially recently - but we don't need our "dependents" making it worse - especially when the BS is carried out against our *own citizens* - AKA "biting the hand that feeds them").

      As someone mentioned above, a lawsuit seems fully justified in this case. No, of course it won't go anywhere, but there should be some cost for this kind of behavior, which is like something out of one of those totalitarian doomsday flicks. There has to be *some* limit. Without it, as we've seen over the past decades, the behavior just keeps getting worse and worse.

      Delete
    2. I too, wish there could be a peaceful, two-state solution - one where all people have food, medicine, clean drinking water, real education, and peace. But this is not what the Likud party stands for - and it will not happen. With each generation it seems to get worse, not better.

      Perhaps if the Americans actually withdrew their funding and support there would be change. But that is going to take one brave politician - or group of them and I don't see it on the horizon.

      For now, all we have are young people (and some old people) who are willing to take risks to make sure that the truth gets out. This story is just one example of how nearly impossible that task is.

      Delete
  23. I'm shocked. This is disgusting. I'm not Arab--I'm part Jewish in fact. But this is shameful! Please forward your blog to MJ Rosenberg, Max Blumenthal and Mondoweiss. They've done so much to write about atrocities in Israel and perhaps they could make your blog more well-known. I hope that you heal from this--writing everything couldn't have been easy. I'm glad you did it, however. Thank you for your courage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. +1
      great comment - and suggestions.

      Delete
    2. What are you shocked about, that Israel does not let in a Palestinian supporter of terrorism? Really shocking, yeah.

      Delete
  24. To the person who replied directly above me:
    Come on. Listen to yourself.
    Unless you are seriously "limited" (which I doubt), you must realize how ridiculous that comment is.
    The author of the blog was doing research for a thesis.
    There was no reason for the brutish treatment she experienced from the Israeli airport personnel (can't call them 'Security') other than petty spite -- or maybe boredom.
    That kind of behavior just makes Israelis look ridiculous, and ignorant.
    So if you really love Israel (and from that brainwashed reply above, it sounds like you do), you shouldn't defend it.

    Loyalty to anything is great - admirable in fact.
    The defensive hyperbole above is annoying - not to mention slanderous - and it only makes you sound silly.

    A smart supporter of Israel would respond like the person above:
    This was outrageous and shouldn't have happened.
    If I were [a strong supporter of Israel] I'd be writing everyone I knew - here and in Israel - to report/complain about this. It makes the whole entity and everyone behind it look *bad* (not to mention stupid).

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, wonderful people, trully seeking peace: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wJXf2nt4Y

    ReplyDelete
  26. Here is a good one, this is what Israel should learn from SA
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160871/Saudi-Arabia-sentences-widow-75-40-lashes-allows-men-home-bring-bread.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So sad that the best defense of Israel = goofy references to Saudi Arabia.
      The people who worked hard to establish the State of Israel must be rolling their graves.

      Delete
  27. The behaviour of the Israelis is disgusting, and as you rightly mention their behaviour towards the Palestinians is infinitely worse. I'm sorry you had to go through that, I know many who've faced similar treatment, most of them of Arab heritage.

    Please do forward this to EI, 972, Mondoweiss etc, it should be shared widely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. And make sure they know that you are a Wesleyan student. Don't be afraid. You should have Michael Roth, the Dean '14 and your advisor behind you. If you do not - there is an even bigger problem. I do not mean to dismiss your experience in any way - but this is a university issue. You were a student doing research. WESLEYAN should be fighting for you - and publicizing this atrocious (but not completely surprising) treatment. Would you expect the university to have your back if you went to Brazil? South Africa? Italy? Israel is a supposed ally and a supposed democratic, free, non-rogue state. This is how they treat American citizens? This is how WESLEYAN allows its students to be treated abroad while trying to conduct research? Someone signed off on your thesis proposal - and they should have your back. If they are not willing to support you, it is completely baffling why anyone would choose to send their child there.

      Delete
  28. Well, considering recent current events, the reasons for this ugly incident seem pretty clear.

    Israel did not want *any* American university students in Southern Lebanon (that's the good thing about false flags/preplanned incursions; they allow for pre-op screening of incoming tourists based on PR concerns) let alone bright, articulate, photogenic ones from a well-liked family of respected physicians and other talented, civic-minded people with friends worldwide (<including in Israel). So if there was any chance the author would be volunteering/conducting thesis research in the Lebanese refugee camp, better to deport her.

    All I can say about those PR concerns is 'thank God!'
    But they still owe her an apology, compensation for travel expenses, and a reinstated entry visa.
    And the next time they put someone at Ben Gurion in charge of staging a denied entry based on trumped-up accusations, pick someone older/more experienced with a little more sense/less flair for bad theatre.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Israel should always deny entry from radical elements seeking to harm her. Good work Israel! Do not let negative elements in.
    This is a message to Israelis: Let the dogs bark and the caravan to move on.
    Keep all the Antisemites out in the cold. Remember they are jealous because not a single Arab or Muslim state is worth entering and there are dozens of such countries. There is one single Jewish state successful, and prosperous.
    Remember this, Arabs kill because of jealousy. Let them eat their hats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great. I'm glad you are so prosperous. Now we can stop supporting you. We are virtually the only country left on this planet who does.

      Delete
  30. So tired of nut cases like the one above.
    It's quite sad really because many of them actually believe the crazy stuff they are spewing.
    The propaganda/brainwashing is so powerful, even among those with a decent level of intelligence/education.
    They are so wrapped up in it they can't even see the fact that Israel has become one large military weapons testing ground, and they are being used to protect that (weapons contracts).

    ReplyDelete
  31. Israel should always deny entry from radical elements seeking to harm her. Good work Israel! Do not let negative elements in.
    This is a message to Israelis: Let the dogs bark and the caravan to move on.
    Keep all the Antisemites out in the cold. Remember they are jealous because not a single Arab or Muslim state is worth entering and there are dozens of such countries. There is one single Jewish state successful, and prosperous.
    Remember this, Arabs kill because of jealousy. Let them eat their hats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Due to your use of the word 'anti-Semitic' in this context, it's obvious that you are an idiot.

      Please allow me to educate you on this one thing, while someone else who wants to do a good deed by educating an idiot can work with you on the rest of your idiotic post.

      Doing a quick search, this is what I came up with:
      Definition of Semitic (n)
      Se·mit·ic [ sə míttik ] 1. languages spoken by Semites: a group of languages belonging to the Afro-Asiatic family and spoken in North Africa and Southwest Asia, including Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Maltese, and Amharic

      This next part might be a little hard to understand, so read it slow: As you can see Arabic is included and Hebrew in included, so to be "anti-Semitic" is to discriminate against either someone who speaks Arabic OR Hebrew, correct?

      Considering that Carina made a point of being smiling and asking how people are doing, WHILE at the same time being flipped off, not given answers, being ogled by a obviously sex deprived Isreali security officer who gets off on coming into rooms with half naked women, having medication taken away, given food that will make her sick, made to pay for her own flight home, and never given answers on why she isn't allowed into Israel.

      By your own idiotic reasoning, it would appear that in reality the security guards in Israel were the ones that were 'anti-Semitic' to Carina.

      Delete
  32. oh I see; it's a robot.
    must be cheaper than paying US college students to post all the silly propaganda.

    ReplyDelete
  33. No robot, one needs to repeat until people understand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it does need repeating until people understand:

      Israel is an apartheid state.
      Israel is an apartheid state.
      Israel is an apartheid state.
      Israel is an apartheid state.
      Israel is an apartheid state.

      Now I hope lots of people understand.

      Delete
  34. It is sad that the incident occurred. It seems apparent, however, that she was not there solely to be a tourist and that the initial questions were not answered truthfully: her destination was not Jerusalem, Haifa, Akra, and Bethlehem.

    They may not have had a good reason for keeping her out, but I would expect to be ejected from any country that I lied to if I got caught.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Rubbish, you can say this for the rest of your life but it would never be true.
    Saudi Arabia is an apartheid as well as every single Arab country which treat minorities just like it was in apartheid South Africa.
    Israel has blacks and Arabs living as equal as everyone else.
    If you were referring to the Palestinians, the truth is that they initiated wars against the Jews long before the Israeli state was established, like in 1921, 1929 or the riots in 1936-9 and continue to this very day. It is very sad. But is also not surprising, wherever there are Arabs there are wars. I am not saying all Arabs are war-mongers, but war-mongers are Arabs and this is a fact.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Forgot to add the Palestinian leader, Haj Amin al-Husseini's association with Hitler.

      Delete
  36. First, I am so sorry you had this experience and so glad you have the courage to tell your story. I am outraged that the Israeli government, a supposedly democratic and free state would bar an American citizen, a college student, from entry and treat you with such disrespect.

    Second, it is difficult to chose which of the more moronic posts above to respond to (did everyone go to Hebrew school to be brainwashed?). But surely the most moronic was the 'Anonymous," who claimed that volunteering to bring clean water to a refugee camp is an act of terror. It takes serious brainwashing to come to that conclusion.

    What is missing in the conversation is a simple fact: this college student goes to a University where a vast majority of the students are Zionist. My daughter is an alum. She does not have a single friend who did not take part in Birthright Israel (the fact that the odious Sheldon, who also made a bald faced attempt to buy his own President funded it did not seem to deter them). The donors are overwhelmingly Zionist. A fair and realistic discussion or forum on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is impossible at Wesleyan and if this young woman tried in any way, she has tremendous courage.

    So the question now is what her advisor, her class Dean and President Roth will do. What would they do if this happened in any other country? The answer will tell us exactly what the quality of a Wesleyan education is worth - if you do not happen to be jewish and your father does not happen to work at Goldman Sachs (or Deutchbank, speaking of Germans).

    Again, this treatment, in a supposedly civilized state, is not acceptable under any terms. The university is responsible for its students and should immediately demand an apology. And here's a heads up: Clean water is a human right, accordingly to the UN, not an act of terror (do they teach this in Hebrew grade school along with the other rubbish about Palestinian children?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Israel is lucky that none of you is a citizen. Can't handle too many liars. Stay where you are and please don't visit.

      Delete
    2. Now here is a statement made by any Israeli that I can really stand behind "Can't handle too many liars.".

      Yes, yes, this is vey true. Israel is already seeped in enough lies, denial, and deception. It is not able to handle any more.

      Someday when it can pull it's head out of it's ass and notice that the BDS boycott is working, the tourist have stopped coming, the EU is sick of it illegally building on settlements, and the American government is tired of funding it, the liars within will have their work cut out for them trying to continue to convience it's white privileged citizens that it's still utopia.

      Wake up Israel, if you haven't noticed the world is getting tired of your bullying and your too many liars within.

      Delete
  37. Don't worry! No one (except dedicated scholars and NGO volunteers) wants to step foot in or spend money on a place that treats people as described in the article above and has become the personification of Dick Cheney.

    <>

    Now listed at same level - in terms of its attractiveness as a tourist attraction - as Bahrain, the Slovak Republic, and [the person above's favorite], Saudi Arabia.

    ReplyDelete
  38. " Israel is becoming an increasingly unattractive country for tourists, dropping to the 53rd place on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, which was published over the weekend.

    The Jewish state fell seven places compared to the 2011 report and 17 places compared to the 2009 report, in which it ranked 36th."

    ~ Ynetnews.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. But the incredibly sad thing about this story is that this young woman, Carina, was certainly not a tourist. She was working for one of the most basic humanitarian goals - clean drinking water - which is our best chance of saving lives anywhere. And the Israelis imprisoned her for trying. And apparently Wesleyan, which approved a student to do this work seems to be pretending it did not occur.

    The work you are doing is essential, Carina, I am so sorry it has come at such a personal cost. But don't stop. There are not enough Carinas in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Carina this is Mariama. I am definitely going to spread and re-blog your experience. You are so strong.

    ReplyDelete
  41. You know what I like about you guys, you can repeat the "Israel is apartheid" mantra until the cows come home. When Israeli Arabs were offered to exchange the Israeli ID Card to a Palestinian one, they did not want it. Why? Because life under Israeli governance is much better...
    But its good that facts don't bother you, very courageous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Facts? You'd like real life facts to back up your claim that the Israeli governance is much better? Try this one on for size:

      http://972mag.com/israeli-government-to-back-law-allowing-discrimination-against-palestinians-ultra-orthodox/73778/

      Not only is the government discriminating agaist Palestians...it's doing it to it's own Orthodox people!

      The person above who wrote the Israel should pull it's head out of it's ass...should have included it's delusioned citizens! Wake up, the cows are coming in for slaughter at this point.

      Delete
    2. I see, so you believe everything you read. Let me tell you a secret. Israel is very prosperous and a successful country because it doesn't waste its resources, the majority of its citizens are working in productive fields such as high-tech, medicine, science, engineering, etc. This is the difference between Israel and, for example, Arab countries. They waste millions on anti-Israel propaganda which gives them nothing back.

      Sure Israel could have been even more prosperous had the "delusioned" worked in something productive, but still, it doesn't make a big difference really.

      All "delusioned" citizens don't want to work in anything else but in defaming Israel, it pays well and is great fun, not only Arab oil states even European money pays in order to keep the fire away from Europe, therefore created 972mag.com and the likes, this way everyone is happy.

      Just to give you an example, there are more non-Muslim (i.e Christian and Jewish) money supporting Muslim causes than there is Muslim money. And there are more human-rights organizations in Israel supporting Palestinians than there are Palestinian organizations supporting Palestinians.
      Just to give you an idea.

      Delete
    3. Again, where are your facts, where is your evidence and why should anyone believe you "there are more human rights organizations in israel supporting palestinians...." Are these Israeli organizations? How many? WHat do they do? How much funding do they have? What Jewish organizations? By name and by dollar?

      I am glad you are a prosperous and successful country - yet another reason why it is pure folly for Americans to give a penny in foreign aid to Israel (not counting military aid).

      Has IDF propaganda become so embedded and pervasive that it is impossible to separate fact from fiction? If Israel is so successful, prosperous and free and the treatment of the Palestinian people so grand, why is Israel so afraid of outside reporters, photographs, or even UN inspection?

      Delete
    4. Again, a completely empty and mostly incredible response. What human rights organizations (israeli) support Muslims? How many? How many people are involved? WHat is their budget? What do they do?

      Ah, they are not Israeli? Then again, what are their names? Their projects? Their budgets? Where are their projects? How long have they been working?

      The American experience in trying to help Palestinians is that it is almost impossible - women over 70, 80, are brought before grand juries for being involved in humanitarian projects with absolutely no political, let alone militant agenda. So I find this fascinating. I know many people who would like to contribute.

      From the remarkable comment boards of Israeli papers (outright glee and celebration when a busload of Palestinian children crashed and children died) I find your contentions to be fascinating. Document them.

      The Israelis seem ever ready to tell the world how prosperous you are. Remind me. Why are we supporting you with foreign aid? And military aid?

      Delete
    5. Dear pen-pal, forgive my delay. You asked so many questions I will try to answer them. But you should not be so lazy. You asked me what organizations, do a Google check. If you want to learn a thing or two about Israeli human rights organizations take a look at Wikipedia as a starter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Israel. If you want to learn about "israeli human rights groups" Google it and see 476,000 results. Then Google "palestinian human rights groups" and see 288,000 results. There is official data published by the Palestinian authority about all the Palestinian human rights organizations and there is an Israeli group that monitors Israeli human rights organizations, because they get money from foreign governments which is considered by this group as intervention, named NGO Monitor and they detail all the Israeli NGOs that help Palestinians. If you can't manage, I'll help you, but you try first.
      Now you also asked about US money and US military aid to Israel. This is a huge topic and I'll make short. America is motivated by its interests and nothing else. Forget about America as a close ally to Israel, this should have been the truth but isn't. Example: America forced Israel lately to release a group of Palestinian murderers who were in Israel prison. America holds an American Jew in prison because he gave information about Iran to Israel 30 years ago. Now, America did not release him, he, according to America, is more dangerous than the group of murderers released as he advised Israel with secret information about Iran !!! So tell me that America is a close ally with Israel. Back to your question. Let me explain, Israel is serving as a military base for America, you get the picture?
      I'll continue next time.

      Delete
    6. What a typically arrogant response. Even the South Africans, under an apartheid regime could not compare to the Israelis.

      Pen Pal: You did not respond to my questions because you could not - the groups that help Palestinians are extremely small, underfunded and do very little. A Google count does not produce an accurate picture of aid - perhaps an actual charity search, with dollars and resources would, but you know that it would be bleak and obviously lack the resources to do it. (Peace Now? Seriously? Is this 1980?)

      You are an apartheid nation, basically a pariah, and I understand our aid completely - you are nothing but mercenaries, disguised as a democratic state. This young woman's post is yet another example - one of many. You are a dependent state - for all Bibi's chest-beating nonsense and the fools that mimic him.

      Delete
    7. My dear friend, I see that you miss all the points I make. Please consider George Soros as an example.
      As I said before, repeating the apartheid mantra does not get you anywhere. Israel is a fine country to both Jews and none Jews alike, unlike all the Arab countries which you represent.
      Since you are not telling the truth, my only wish is that you will not be able to enjoy the fruits of Israel's success but eat the fruits of the Arab "success". Having said that, you already enjoy all the fruits of Israel's high-tech industries even without knowing. If you really wanted to boycott Israel you should go back to the empty desert, without scientific developments and computers, Israel's biggest achievements. Good luck.

      Delete
  42. Dear Carina,

    I am very sorry to read about this unpleasant and disappointing experience.

    I can understand and share your sadness about possibly not being able to visit your grandfather's village, or your great-grandmother's grave. I too can't do that. I am a Jew from an Arab land, whose family had to escape the country because of the persecution of Jews. I can't even think of visiting my childhood home, my childhood school or my ancestors' graves in the now-desecrated Jewish cemetery. During the last century, hundreds of thousands of Arab Jews have had to leave Arab lands simply because of their religion. If you count their descendants, the numbers really swell. Like me, the great majority of those Arab Jews cannot visit their old Arab countries without serious risk of torture and/or death. I am glad that Israel allows most people, including you in January, to visit.

    I do hope that someday there will be real peace, and we will all be able to trust each other and visit freely.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous, I am sorry for your loss as well. I feel grateful that I am able to freely honor my ancestors and sorry that this endless conflict has exactly a horrific human cost.

    But I am interested. Where was your childhood home? Your ancestor's graves?

    ReplyDelete
  44. Your experience was not unusual, of course. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/27/why-i-got-banned-from-israel.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I wonder how many are detained and denied entry? The comments were bilious.

      But I am still confused. This young woman was essentially making the trip under the auspices of a university, doing university-sanctioned research. Admittedly, Wesleyan University runs on Zionist dollars. So it seems that the university has a choice: to publicly and honestly identify as a Zionist institution, or stand for what it pretends to be: an independent liberal arts college where free thinking and global action for social justice are fostered AND protected. This young woman should not have been left without resources and Wesleyan University, if Roth has any integrity at all should speak out in defense of its own student (they certainly are not shy about using her other work as PR).

      Delete
  45. What a brave woman. It must have been horrific to relive your experience as you wrote about it. You are truly remarkable.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I am so proud to write down you are an Arab and a Palestinian. For all that the Israelis put you through, they are the true sufferers. They have lost their souls. Bigotry, hatred, racism and prejudice corrupts them. They know they have lost their humanity in their quest to sustain Zionism. The humanitarian 20 year old you are with 25% Palestinian blood proves to them that the "young are not forgetting". All the money, power and influence cannot give them peace of mind, nor does it allow them to see the sweetness that life has to offer. Pity everyone of those Israelis you encountered during your interrogation and confinement.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Dear Carina,

    I was recently banned from Israel as well--actually only a few days after you were. I am currently working on compiling stories of Palestinian-Americans who are banned from Israel for a project, and was wondering if we could further be in touch. Please don't hesitate to contact me, anna.lekasmiller@gmail.com ...would love to connect regardless.

    Warmly,
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  48. As salaam 'alaykum.
    Thank you for this article, you have a gift for writing. I felt like I was in that jail with you. I tremble at the insolence with which you were treated. Knowing USAns are funding Israeli occupation adds to this ongoing injustice and as a USAn I am insulted.
    And then to realize how insignificant this single event is in comparison to living under the zionist boot renders me speechless.
    The love between you and your grandfather though makes me feel hopeful.
    pecially the statisti

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  49. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  50. The impossibility of true solutions until hearts are changed on both sides and brought into reconciliation. טיסות זולות לחול

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  51. Carina... I'm so horrified to read about this experience you had, fo what amounts to human rights abuse. I had to double check that this was an actual account and not some fiction. It is beyond belief that there is so much power-tripping and outright racism. It's so incredible to imagine what small excuse is trotted out, as a justification for such outrageous behaviour! I'm livid that this happened to you and I'm better informed now for reading your account.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete