Welcome to Israel? How Border Control deported our relatives

Last week my wife’s brother and sister from the Philippines were refused passage by the Border Control at Ben Gurion airport and were subsequently deported to Manila. Disregarding all documents proving their good intentions, the Border Control acted cruel and inhumane. Is this what a “Jewish” state stands for?

They came here for 2 months for a Sheva Brachot of her niece and family reunion with her sister, whom they had not seen for 19 years. They carried documents, certified by the Philippines Consul-General, i.e. our invitation letter and an affidavit, to show the good intention of the visit. The Border Control officer from the start intended to deport them. She said all the documents were fake and “bullshit” (!) and that they were liars, who came here only to work. In addition to her bias, she was very rude and yelled at them. Instead of being treated as guests, they were interrogated as criminals. A couple of hours later they were deported.

I have consulted an immigration lawyer, who stated that this kind of treatment of foreigners is a recurring process at Ben Gurion airport. He also told me that a legal procedure would cost ten thousands of shekels and that the state never pays anything back. Apparently, the Border Control officers have unlimited powers, they can do what ever they want, nobody checks them. Unrestrained power corrupts. Is that acceptable for a country that calls itself a state with rule of law?

Besides the diplomatic damage towards the Embassy of the Philippines, this affair has caused us financial and emotional damage. Financially, for the wasted money on flight tickets and a long-distance taxi. As said, starting a legal procedure would further increase our financial loss. But perhaps most importantly, emotional damage. Our relatives missed the last Sheva Brachot of their niece and family reunion with their sister after 19 years.

I seek publicity to counter this abuse by Border Control, since these practices are not known to the wider Israeli society. They damage the image of the State of Israel, with its own citizens and abroad. These malicious practices of Border Control fit an authoritarian regime, such as Russia or Iran, not a country that calls itself a “Jewish and democratic state”. A Jewish state is led by Torah and Judaism, righteousness and compassion, not by harsh and vicious treatment. Unless the authorities take proper action, these Border Control officers will continue their inhumane treatment. They have nothing to fear, tomorrow they will kick other guests out of the country. Welcome to Israel?

This is not the first time I have had to deal with the ‘totalitarian’ features of the Israeli state. For example, during Corona, after my Aliah flight (!), they locked me up. Also, they ripped me off with taxes on my old Dutch car. And they harassed me for years on income tax that I did not need to pay. But this affair of the state against my brother- and sister-in-law is even more appalling. In the past I have approached Members of Knesset (MKs), departments and ministers regarding these malversations and with other requests. Nobody has ever replied. That is another characteristic of a state which lacks checks and balances and which disregards the interests of its citizens.

What can I do about this affair? First of all, I have already informed the ambassador of the Philippines in detail about this case. Also, I am considering to revoke my Israeli citizenship. I do not wish to be a citizen of a state that treats people inhumane. Furthermore, after all my bad encounters with this non-Jewish state, I am also deliberating to leave Israel. Around one-third of the olim (new immigrants) return to their original countries. And more and more highly-educated people are also leaving Israel, to the detriment of the income tax authority. I may be Haredi, but I also belong to this category of ‘highly-educated people’. Isn’t it about time that the state contemplates why olim and highly-educated persons are emigrating; or do they just continue their authoritarian practices, as they did after 1948, when they cut the sidelocks of the Yemenites?

I have lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Kazakhstan. None of these states has treated me so unjust as Israel has done. State of Israel: Shame on you!