Israeli Arabs call for El Al boycott
Civil liberties group calls on Arab sector to protest humiliating security screenings at Ben Gurion airport, shun national airline
Israeli Arabs should boycott El Al, a new pressure group said in its first press conference Tuesday in Nazareth. The group, a subcommittee for Arab civil liberties in Israel, has been formed under the auspices of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee.
The boycott call comes in protest of the screening process Israeli Arabs citizens are subjected to at Ben-Gurion airport.
Aside from the airport issue, the new group said it wanted to fight the "political persecution of Arab leaders such as Sheikh Raed Salah and the incitement campaign surrounding MK Said Naffaa's visit to Syria."
According to the group, passengers seeking to fly with El-Al are further discriminated against compared to passengers traveling with other airlines.
"We've discussed this many times over with many transportation ministers and El Al executives over the years, however no changes have been made. Therefore today we have chosen to recommend to the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee to boycott El Al unless it changes its approach," said a spokesman for the committee.
"This decision will likely have political repercussions and therefore it must first be discussed. Our goal right now is to caution against the absurd behavior against the Arab citizens. This is a recommendation to the Monitoring Committee but also to the rest of the Israeli Arab organizations."
Members of the organization, which answers to the Higher Monitoring Committee, outlined their work plan: "Our goal is to significantly downsize the extent of the political and security-oriented humiliating persecution of the Arab sector and its leaders, which has grown excessively worse as of late."
Many leading public figures from the Arab sector were in attendance at the press conference, including Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Salah.
El Al spokesman Ran Rahav said in response that the security screening process at Ben Gurion airport is carried out by the Israeli Airports Authority – in accordance with standards and practices set by security forces.
"El Al is an international airline serving millions of passengers yearly. The company is in close and constant contact with the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee and works in cooperation with representatives from the committee to provide the best and most efficient service for its Arab customers while ensuring their security.
"El Al continuously strives to improve the security screening process without compromising their effectiveness."
