16-YEAR-OLD COMPARES AMERICAN SECURITY MEASURES TO THOSE OF ISRAEL

Returns from the Jewish State with a fresh perspective --- “I prefer the security I can see.”

Security measures in the U.S. are almost nonexistent compared to those this youngster experienced in Israel.

SECURITY YOU CAN SEE IN ISRAEL
By Truman Brody-Boyd

Jewish World Review
August 28, 2013

We live in an age where Big Brother is, in fact, watching. I'm 16 and have grown up surrounded by super advanced technology. Smart phones can tell you what caused the beginning of the yellow fever outbreak in the United States during the 1800s in seconds. My laptop can show me a video someone in Sweden uploaded minutes ago. An IMessage group text can help me get with friends I want to hang with and meet them in a matter of minutes, using my phone's GPS to find the location of the nearest Pizza Hut (which has an app that gives me the address).

So, I don't mind the security when it doesn't hinder me physically. The phone call monitors or the security cameras don't slow me down, they don't make me change the way I live or the things I carry in my bag. Because I've grown up with all of this around me, I'm used to it and don't notice it. But the older generations certainly do, and the NSA scandal has shaken them up. Most above the age of 30 or 40 have been cautious about the oncoming of all this technology.

But when I traveled to Israel in July, American security measures were put into perspective.

Even flying to get to Israel requires more security than regular TSA checks, and Americans think those are awful. If you fly EL AL, the Israeli airline, before you even check in you get screened. A representative from the airline interviews you about your luggage. If they suspect it's been tampered with or suspect that you're lying, you must get your bag screened and -- occasionally -- unpacked. Then, as you board, carry-on luggage is randomly selected to be put with the checked bags.

American security seem reasonable yet?

In Israel, IDF soldiers are everywhere. Always in uniform, the men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces are always ready to go into action, even in the city of Tel Aviv. It would be like seeing fully equipped U.S. soldiers wandering around downtown Miami. Many have packs on, filled with gear necessary to fight. But the most shocking thing by far: Almost all the soldiers are carrying their assault rifles. Even in Tel Aviv, probably the safest place in Israel, droves of IDF soldiers with guns slung across their backs roam the streets. Yes, American cities have armed policemen, but Tel Aviv has both its policemen and the IDF soldiers.

American security seem reasonable yet?

Even with armed soldiers everywhere, there's still more security in Israel. To get into large bus stations, any train station, museums, college campuses, and malls, your bags are checked. In addition, you're either patted down or passed through a metal detector. Any place that has a high density of people that might be an attractive target for a bomber has some level of security. Even soldiers of the IDF are screened.

American security seem reasonable yet?

Of course, there are also the many security checkpoints that you must past through upon entering or exiting the West Bank, along with the high walls lining the road. I've experienced these firsthand, and I noticed something about the wall. It seemed a lot like the walls our suburban neighborhoods use to separate themselves from noisy highways — but the Israeli walls have guard towers. There are always armed soldiers in the towers and at the checkpoints, usually in full combat gear. Some have bomb dogs with them as well.

American security seem reasonable yet?

You may be thinking now that Israel is some restrictive society where people are hindered in their everyday lives. But this isn't so. The Israelis have grown up in a land where they must always be on their toes, ready to fight for what they believe at a moment's notice. They understand the necessity for all the security, and almost all are thankful for it. When waiting in the security lines, the only grumbling and discontent I heard was from other tourists like me. For example, I was in line for a security screening to enter a mall that had a subway station I was trying to get to. I heard an American tourist in front of me remark, "These checks are ridiculous. I have to add five minutes into the traveling time to go anywhere." The young Israelis trying to get into the mall didn't mind the wait, and it's probably for the same reason I don't mind the monitoring of my phone. We've grown up with it.

Israel is forced to have security measures as extreme as these to ensure the safety of the population. Many of these measures are a result of the Second Intifada, a terror campaign that occurred in Israel during 2000-05 and caused the death of about 1,000 Israelis. Since the introduction of these security measures, terror bombings in Israel have decreased dramatically.

The way the United States monitors us isn't something you notice daily or weekly. Before the discussion of privacy heated up in the past few weeks, we didn't notice the security measures much at all. They circumvent the human aspect of security and go into the technology we've become so accustomed to. In Israel, the security measures that are taken can affect you daily, even hourly. While I'm sure Israel is tapping the occasional phone line or two, they're also on the ground every day, focusing on the human element, screening everyone regardless of race, religion, origin, or employment. Even a 16-year-old kid, traveling alone in Israel, visiting the nation for the first time, gets screened at every turn, and for me that was not a problem. I prefer the security I can see.