A Dutch airport security worker at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport harassed, detained and humiliated two Israeli women, one of them a former hostage held in Gaza, who were in the Netherlands for an advocacy visit sponsored by the Defense Ministry.
The Israeli accompanying the released hostage filed an official complaint against the employee with the airport police. Sources at the airport claim the worker, of Pakistani-Muslim origin, had previously faced complaints for detaining Israeli citizens passing through the airport.
The incident occurred on Friday at 9:40am. The Israelis, who wished to remain anonymous, were directed to the expedited security checkpoint by the local El Al station crew during check-in.
Upon reaching the checkpoint, the Dutch security worker, who was also the shift supervisor, looked through the former Israeli hostage’s passport and insisted they were not eligible for the fast-track lane.
Without arguing, the two moved to the regular line, but oddly, the worker called them back, stating they could use the fast track but warned the accompanying Israeli of a 350-euro fine if they weren't entitled. He then opened the barrier, asking them to proceed to the fast-track queue.
As they were about to go through their hand luggage screening, the same supervisor aggressively pulled them out of the line. He positioned them in front of dozens of waiting passengers, deliberately humiliating them by loudly accusing them of fraud and ordering their detention for further clarification. He also loudly identified them as Israelis, repeatedly mentioning "El Al," the Israeli flag carrier.
The Israeli companion informed the security worker she was contacting the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands and involving him. Initially skeptical, the security worker's demeanor changed once he realized she was indeed speaking with Ambassador Modi Ephraim. He quietly murmured that he made another call, and, going beyond the letter of law, the security team decided to release them, saying they would "settle the fraud account with El Al." Meanwhile, the ambassador contacted El Al's security officer, who quickly arrived to assist the Israelis.
"When the security worker stopped us, he intentionally placed us in front of dozens of passengers and yelled at us for committing fraud"
Before the security officer's arrival, the companion asked the employee where they should now stand, and he directed them back to the front of the security check line.
Another worker near the machines shouted at them, "What are you doing here?" The companion clarified they would proceed with the check without any shouting or stops, warning of serious consequences otherwise. The worker allowed the two Israelis to go through the check. The shift supervisor disappeared.
With the help of El Al's security officer, the two Israelis filed complaints at Schiphol's border police. The companion, a dual national, filed the complaint as a Dutch citizen. Sources at the airport said that this was not the first time Israelis lodged complaints against the same worker for harassment and detainment due to their Israeli citizenship.
"When the security worker stopped us, he intentionally placed us in front of dozens of passengers and yelled at us for committing fraud. He kept saying 'Israelis' and 'I don't know what they told you in Israel,' as if we committed a terrible crime,” the companion shared in a conversation with Ynet.
The Israeli embassy in the Netherlands said it was aware of the incident and familiar with several similar recent incidents
“I'm in airports almost weekly and never had such a demeaning experience. It was clear he targeted us after seeing our Israeli passports and going berserk. We felt attacked, humiliated and degraded. He had this sadistic look in his eyes. Only after we refused to budge, fought back and I called the Israeli ambassador, did he start to realize it wouldn't be easy this time."
The Israeli embassy in the Netherlands said it was aware of the incident and familiar with several similar recent incidents. Hence, the embassy intends to broadly address the issue with the authorities to ensure it does not recur.