August 25, 2003
David Bernstein (The Volokh Conspiracy) is in Israel this week and gives some first hand observations in this post:
The main reminder of the 'situation' are the security guards posted at the entrance to restaurants, shopping malls, university entrances, and the like. Women show the contents of their handbags, while men, especially heavier men whose girth might turn out to be a bomb belt, get checked for explosives with an electronic device. My impression is that on a day to day basis the average Tel Avivian is more concerned about the awful economic situation (unemployment over 10%, and lots of recent cuts in government programs) than about negotiations with the Palestinians, for which very little hope is held out.
The most striking statement here is that the profiling of persons of larger girth seems so ordinary. Yet why would it not be that way? It is in the best interest of all the people, including larger people, to locate all persons carrying an explosive vest.
