View Full Version : Be Sure to Backup Your Laptop Before Dealing with Israeli Security
Aluminum body laptops are a menace to society.
http://lilysussman.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/im-sorry-but-we-blew-up-your-laptop-welcome-to-israel/
decodeddiesel
12-15-09, 14:23
So some woman, living in Egypt, who presumably speaks Arabic (and is more than likely an Arab) tried to get into Israel and had a hard time with it?
Color me not surprised.
Well, that's not surprising, but you'd think they'd have a better way of disposing of the laptop. Like a hammer or something. At least make sure to shoot through the hard drive.
I don't particularly care because I have no dog in that race, but given that they weren't really intent on destroying the important part of the laptop (the data), it seems as though they just wanted to destroy her property.
It was worth it to me just to see the Mac with the bullet holes in it.
Hi I'm IDF and I'm a PC.:)
So some woman, living in Egypt, who presumably speaks Arabic (and is more than likely an Arab) tried to get into Israel and had a hard time with it?
Color me not surprised.
Her name appears to be
Lily Sussman
Not your normal Egyptian name. She also had an arabic phrasebook with her... Someone who is a native speaker would probably not have such.
Kind of a stupid over reaction by the Israelis I think. Take it apart if you think it is a bomb or nefarious. Or blow it up with explosives in a controlled explosion. Shooting it 3 times does not do a lot security wise
Hi I'm IDF and I'm a PC.:)
Ha, that's funny.
Shooting it 3 times does not do a lot security wise
That's the thing that kinda gets me. I don't get the purpose.
decodeddiesel
12-15-09, 17:26
Kind of a stupid over reaction by the Israelis I think. Take it apart if you think it is a bomb or nefarious. Or blow it up with explosives in a controlled explosion. Shooting it 3 times does not do a lot security wise
Yes and no. In the Israeli's minds shooting something could be a "render safe" procedure. My experience and training tells me that it wouldn't do shit except maybe show you there is or isn't explosives inside. Not too many explosives other than primary explosives (ie PETN, TATP, HMTD, etc.) are sensitive to bullets.
I can tell you this much though, you never EVER try to take something apart that you suspect is an explosive device.
I don't blame the Israelis. They have to deal with a lot of really bad shit on a daily basis that we as American's can't even fathom (unless perhaps you've spent time in a combat zone). If I lived there I am sure I would have a healthy paranoia of anything out of the ordinary, and their security people are trained to be weary of every and anything they have the least bit less than a warm and fuzzy about. Some woman with a less than air tight reason for being in Israel, who in fact lives in Egypt is going to throw up some major red flags. Not to mention:
Among other suspicious item; an Arabic phrasebook, a journal entry that mentioned a Palestinian(yes, they even flipped through my journal), stamps from Syria, Qatar and the UAE, Palestinians in Palestine guidebook, and a map a friend had drawn with a main street in Jerusalem, the central bus station and my intended hostel. “Who are you meeting there?” They asked me.
...a picture of graffiti, which read “****” scrawled next to the Jewish star of David. “Why do you have this picture?” She asked me rather aggressively. “Because I was disturbed by it too,” I answered. She didn’t press the subject but continued clicking…presumably looking at pictures from a photo exhibit about Israel’s January attack of Gaza.
This woman clearly has no idea who the Israelis are, nor what they are all about. They scrutinize everyone who doesn't have a passport with a 6 pointed star on it, and having shit like this on your person is just asking for trouble. I have no sympathy for this woman. Israeli's don't believe in taking chances because they may offend someone by being non-politically correct and frankly I think that not a bad idea given the track record of the country.
Still though does that mean shooting a laptop is a good idea? No probably not.
Yes and no. In the Israeli's minds shooting something could be a "render safe" procedure. My experience and training tells me that it wouldn't do shit except maybe show you there is or isn't explosives inside. Not too many explosives other than primary explosives (ie PETN, TATP, HMTD, etc.) are sensitive to bullets.
I can tell you this much though, you never EVER try to take something apart that you suspect is an explosive device.
Good point. I was thinking more as smuggling in than being the bomb itself but you can never be sure.
I don't blame the Israelis. They have to deal with a lot of really bad shit on a daily basis that we as American's can't even fathom (unless perhaps you've spent time in a combat zone). If I lived there I am sure I would have a healthy paranoia of anything out of the ordinary, and their security people are trained to be weary of every and anything they have the least bit less than a warm and fuzzy about. Some woman with a less than air tight reason for being in Israel, who in fact lives in Egypt is going to throw up some major red flags. Not to mention:
This woman clearly has no idea who the Israelis are, nor what they are all about. They scrutinize everyone who doesn't have a passport with a 6 pointed star on it, and having shit like this on your person is just asking for trouble. I have no sympathy for this woman. Israeli's don't believe in taking chances because they may offend someone by being non-politically correct and frankly I think that not a bad idea given the track record of the country.
Still though does that mean shooting a laptop is a good idea? No probably not.
I don't really blame them either. Still not sure what shooting the computer really did for the situation though.
Read her blog and you'll get a sense of who she is (a misinformed American).
Hi I'm IDF and I'm a PC.:)
That is awesome!!!
decodeddiesel
12-16-09, 08:59
Read her blog and you'll get a sense of who she is (a misinformed American).
No doubt.
More than likely she's a rabid U2 fan and thinks Barack Obama is the savior :rolleyes:. Because of this and some vacation to Europe she probably fancies herself as "worldly".
4thPointOfContact
12-16-09, 12:31
Insha’allah... I will like Israel better tomorrow.
No, I don't thing she sees the world from any particular viewpoint, none at all, do you?
Read her blog and you'll get a sense of who she is (a misinformed American).
And that is probably why her laptop got toasted.
On one hand I admire Israel for not taking any shit from those who hate them and making it fairly plain such folks are not welcome nor will they be treated kindly. This is far better than the standard PC approach and why Israel hasn't become the UK or France.
But on the other hand, I also know they created a lot of their enemies. Israel pioneered modern terrorism when they drove England out of Palestine to create Israel. Irgun and the Stern gang are worshiped like heroes when they in fact meet the modern definition of terrorists as much as any radical Islamic group. They treated Palestinian arabs pretty much like the nazis treated European Jews before the implementation of the "final solution."
But I guess if I had to pick one over the other, it sure wouldn't be the ****ers who were dancing around and cheering on 9-11.
This is all assuming of course, that this blog entry can be trusted
I don't get what shooting the laptop did to heighten security, but on the rest of it...
It's their country, you're asking to come in. They don't have to let her in at all and they can ask you whatever they like before they do let you in.
At least she got her hard drive back, haha.
It was an intimidation tactic and she's lucky they didn't know about the hard drive. She won't get anything for compensation. It's funny how some people think everything is black and white. She thinks if she follows their directions she'll get it resolved. Well she's in for a rough ride.
Should have known better that any slight against Judaism or Israel would cause her trouble. The Muslim/Judaism animosity in the country is pretty high right now.
CarlosDJackal
12-16-09, 15:06
Well, that's not surprising, but you'd think they'd have a better way of disposing of the laptop. Like a hammer or something. At least make sure to shoot through the hard drive...
Why? Then they wouldn't be able to do any forensics on it if they did. :p
That's pretty funny since it didn't happen to me. But oddly enough, I've crossed into Isreal at the Taba/Elat border crossing. I have a Macbook Pro. The only thing about Judaism is what I've seen on South Park, heard from an Adam Sandler song, and that they got the short stick in WWII. And of course, I'm a misinformed American, as I joined the Army instead of getting a lucrative paying job in the private sector:) And they did none of the things she related in her post. They were polite, very professional and processed my paperwork without incident. I think I spent 30min at the crossing, most of it waiting in line.
Business_Casual
12-16-09, 15:29
But I guess if I had to pick one over the other, it sure wouldn't be the ****ers who were dancing around and cheering on 9-11.
Agree. Not our border, not our country, not sure why we feel the need to complain about it.
Imagine what the Saudis would have done to her if she had a bible in her bag or the North Koreans if she had a bag of rice. Case closed.
M_P
PS - I've been to a lot of countries, and one thing you don't do is skyline yourself to a bunch of bored 18-year old conscripts with rifles.
So was a .45 or 9 mm? Looks a little big to be a 9 mm.
Might not have been a gun anyways.
Why? Then they wouldn't be able to do any forensics on it if they did. :p
Forensics!? We don't need no steenking forensics!
So was a .45 or 9 mm? Looks a little big to be a 9 mm.
I'm guessing maybe a rifle from a distance? If it was something they were worried about, it seems like they wouldn't want to be that close to it when they shot it. If they weren't worried about it, then why did they shoot it?
In America, if someone rubs you the wrong way, you might be slow to process their paperwork or something more mischievous than malevolent; in the case of security, you might keep them as long as possible just to mess with them, for example. I'm guessing at the border of Israel, if you rub someone the wrong way but they can't justifiably shoot you, they shoot some of your stuff instead. Just to vent.
Israeli Border Guard 1: What the hell? Misguided young American stepping to us like that?
Israeli Border Guard 2: Yeah, she sucks.
Israeli Border Guard 1: Can we get her for anything?
Israeli Border Guard 2: Naw, not really.
Israeli Border Guard 1: Damn, that sucks.
Israeli Border Guard 2: Well, we could shoot her laptop.
Israeli Border Guard 1: Now you're talkin'. Let's do it!
SeriousStudent
12-16-09, 20:11
It never ceased to amaze me, in all the countries I visited. How many times did I see (mostly Americans) behaving as if all the countries in the world were one big fluffy cloud of happiness. And because they were Americans, they were somehow due to be given special smiles, or better yet, a puppy.
Big boy rules. She was in their house. Too bad.
Many of us have been places where she would have just vanished, and there would have been no silly blog.
decodeddiesel
12-16-09, 20:26
Many of us have been places where she would have just vanished, and there would have been no silly blog.
Damn skippy.
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