I was detained at a US airport and asked about Israel and Gaza for 2 hours. Why? | Ilan Pappé

I was held for two hours. The first round of questions was about my views on Hamas. Then the agents wished to know whether I thought Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide and what I think of the slogan “Palestine should be free from the river to the sea”. I said yes, I do think Israel is committing genocide. As to the slogan, I said that in my view people anywhere in the world should be free.

Then the agents interrogated me about who I know in the Arab American and Muslim American community. They asked me to provide them with telephone numbers, took my phone away for quite a long period and asked to wait until they made some phone calls before they let me go.

Dreizehn,
@Dreizehn@kbin.social avatar

I would tell the bums to look up the Warsaw Ghetto during WW II.

quindraco,

The first round of questions was about my views on Hamas. Then the agents wished to know whether I thought Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide and what I think of the slogan “Palestine should be free from the river to the sea”.

In a situation like this, the only correct answers are “lawyer” and silence.

Bluerendar,

If you are detained at foreign border security, unfortunately, you don't have guaranteed legal rights to a lawyer. They can unilaterally ask for statements, seize property given up for search, or deny entry on any grounds.

MonkderDritte,

Airports are their own legal zones, similiar to embassies, in US? What the hell?

or deny entry on any grounds.

I thought that’s the only thing they can do?

Passerby6497,

There’s a 100mi border zone around the coast where you have no 4th amendment rights, and CBP likes to abuse that fact.

WhatAmLemmy,

Welcome to freedom!

leds,

Wasn’t it also 100 mile zone around international airports too?

TechNerdWizard42,

Yeah that’s not how CBP works especially for non citizens. I tell Americans this all the time and nobody believes it. Until it happens to them or someone they know.

You have zero rights. You can be detained without legal representation or cause for 72 hours thanks to the Patriot Act. Even as a citizen. Your electronics seized and spied on. All your social media, email, picture, everything read. It happens daily.

It happens more often to black and brown people and non citizens. But it shouldn’t happen at all.

Kaboom,

So basically a foreign national that potentially has connections to Hamas went through customs and got asked questions for two hours. Whats the story here?

juicy,

Found the racist

goferking0,

They do mod/love to post in conservative communities

Kaboom,

Thats a horrid thing to say, dont call people mods, its not polite. Quite uncouth I say!

Thrillhouse,

He’s Israeli.

Yearly1845,

Well Hamas is Israels doing.

Thrillhouse,

Idk what you’re trying to say here.

He’s an Israeli scholar who writes about the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

Yearly1845,

Your assertion that he can’t possibly be connected to Hamas because he’s Israeli doesn’t hold water because Hamas was Israel’s creation in the first place.

Thrillhouse,

Show me where I said “he couldn’t possibly be connected to Hamas?”

But technically if you want to make the argument that Israel is responsible for Hamas, shouldn’t they be stopping every Israeli at the border in the US?

No, it seems they’re targeting this guy in particular because he advocates on behalf of Palestine.

Buffalox,

Wow, there is really some shit going on in USA, we would usually only expect from a totalitarian regime, and absolutely not from a democracy.

juicy,

Well that’s what we get for letting Trump win… Huh? What’s that? Biden is still President?

Buffalox,

AFAIK the basis for these checks were established under Bush. So mostly designed by Republicans and not democrats.

Arin,

we never fixed them

juicy,

We’ve had two Obama terms and one entire Biden term since then.

CommanderCloon,

Damn it’s so sad no democrat president was elected before yesterday, but now that a non fascist is in power I’m sure those unjust laws will be repealed any second

comador,
@comador@lemmy.world avatar

Created by GW Bush in 2008, passed in 2009 :

…wikipedia.org/…/Secondary_Security_Screening_Sel…

Not all laws are recent you know.

juicy,

Presidential administrations have a huge amout of discretion in how they administer the law in our system. Just look at the way border security processes constantly change despite no new legislation being passed. And you know that very well. If Trump was in office, you would absolutely put the blame at his feet.

hoshikarakitaridia,
@hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world avatar

Last time trump was in office, people were rightfully blaming him for a lot of shit he publicly acclaimed.

On his watch, you don’t need to dig for reasons to hate him, he gives quite a lot of those.

TropicalDingdong,

Wow, there is really some shit going on in USA, we would usually only expect from a totalitarian regime, and absolutely not from a democracy.

The biggest issue is that the Biden administration is laying the pavement like they are.

Kaboom,

This happens in almost every countries customs, its not unique to the US

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