Daughter of Arab Knesset member forced to undergo ‘naked’ airport security check

The daughter of an Arab member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has accused Ben Gurion Airport security staff of forcing her to undergo a “naked” security check. Amna Freige, the daughter of Meretz Party MK Esawi Freige, said that she was “humiliated” at Israel’s main airport after being told to remove her bra before going through a security scanner.

Freige was on her way to Berlin with a friend when they were asked to remove their bras, Ynet News has reported. She and her friend Lina Jaries had booked flights to Berlin for a holiday. Their harassment began as soon as they arrived at the airport. Both say that their personal belongings were checked and they were asked to go through a full body scanner, just like other passengers. It was then that security personnel told them to remove their bras.

The two women, it is alleged, were then threatened by the security team’s shift manager who insisted that if they didn’t comply with the requirements of the security check, they would not be allowed to board their flight. At that point, Freige called her father who is reported to have told her, “Just suck it up if you want to be on that flight.” Both women agreed to comply and went through the security scanner naked.

They are currently preparing a lawsuit against the Israel Airports Authority, claiming that there was no justification for that particular check. The entire incident, they insist, was an unnecessary humiliation.

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