Egozi’s Fury

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The so-called “agreement” with Iran has been signed. The Iranians are brilliant, and not just brilliant nuclear scientists. Their production should land them the Oscar of all Oscars. No Hollywood studio has ever produced this kind of show, they really deserve the highest praise. It’s the work of a genius director, but it must also be added that he knew his target audience well – most of them being certified idiots. It all went as smoothly as a hand-made Swiss watch, and this includes everything, even the so called “difficulties” during the Geneva talks. The timing was perfect. No words can describe this kind of international production. Iran understands that the world is mostly made up of idiots and it gave them what they wanted. And where’s Israel in all this? Somewhere in the background. Not even backstage, probably stashed away in some costume cabinet somewhere.

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Internal Security Ministry Yitzhak Aharonovich said that a disaster like the Carmel fire can’t possibly repeat itself, because of reforms in the emergency services implemented since that event. With all due respect, this is completely detached from reality. There may have been some changes, but they’re far from enough – there still isn’t one central organization to oversee all emergency services, except maybe on paper. That didn’t happen, mostly because of the egos involved. The minister, who really wants to improve things, is wrong this time. Even worse, his words give the impression – if you’re unfamiliar with the subject – that everything has been solved, which is far from being the case. Small state, big threats, lots of talking and very little productive work. Government ministers never had so little influence. The true decision makers, the ministry officials, probably smiled when they heard him.

IHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Lowering the security levels in public areas was done without thinking, in a typical Israeli fashion. Someone decided that “the nature of the threats have changed” and that it’s safe enough to lower security. Even the often-mentioned “technological alternatives” to physical security are nonsense. Instead, they lowered the number of security guards. All areas are wide open, and to prove that some diligent reporters recorded themselves smuggling fake explosives into crowded areas. Somebody just doesn’t understand what his job is, and they have to wake up quickly before disaster strikes. The next board of inquiry must be prevented.

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The High Court of Justice once again did not intervene in the way Israeli-Arabs are screened in the Ben Gurion Airport. The judges understand that there’s a problem here, and it’s not a legal one. The security checking process itself probably can be improved, made less intrusive, but that’s not for the courts to decide. Since the first appeals on this matter, made six years ago, the government promised again and again that it will implement changes in the security processes, changes that will “make them feel less biased”. On March 2008 government representatives stated that the new luggage checking system will “increase the feeling of equality” and will be implemented in the Ben Gurion Airport during 2010. In September 2009 it was stated that the implementation date has been changed to 2012, and in 2012 it was delayed again – to 2013. Leading up to the current deliberations on the matter, officials stated that the implementation date will be delayed even further – to March 2014. In 2011 the High Court of Justice ordered the state to explain why the ethnic bias isn’t stopped. Discussions on the matter continued, and the state claimed that the security checks in Ben Gurion Airport are based on threat assessments, which are influenced by ethnic background. The state also asked the court not to make a general ruling on the matter.