Brussels, Belgium – The Rabbinical Centre of Europe expressed concern about the installation and implementation of full-body scanners in European airports following the botched 25 December attack on a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Detroit from Amsterdam.
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“The implementation of full body scans leaves us concerned. In line with child protection agencies in America we feel this violates the rights of religious women whose modesty would be compromised,” the Brussels-based RCE, which is a body representing several hundreds rabbis across Europe, said Wednesday.
“While appreciating the concern of passenger safety we would recommend that men are scanned by men, and women by women, akin to body frisk,” Asher Gold, the RCE’s spokesperson, told EJP.
European governments on Tuesday defended plans to fast-track new body scanners into airports despite complaints that the machines invade privacy and amount to virtual strip searching.
With security experts to meet Thursday, the EU was split over whether to use the devices even as the botched attack on the US airliner raised fears that hard-to-detect bomb-making materials could be smuggled onto planes.
“It is the most reliable instrument,” said Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, defending full-body scanners on the grounds they put a premium on safety rather than fan concerns about privacy.
The scanners could detect “if a terrorist has swallowed a capsule full of explosives and could become a human bomb,” which would escape a metal detector, the former EU justice commissioner told Radio 24.
Even if the machines meant a “sacrifice” for the privacy of passengers, the “right to security is essential for all other freedoms,” he said, as Britain and the Netherlands prepare to introduce them.
But in Britain, privacy campaigners told the Guardian newspaper that the images created by the devices were so graphic they amounted to “virtual strip searching” and have called for safeguards to protect privacy.
Terri Dowty, of civil rights group Action On Rights For Children, said their use could breach child protection laws, which made it illegal to create an indecent image or a “pseudo-image” of a child.
“They do not have the legal power to use full body scanners in this way,” she said.
The head of Spain’s ASETRA air transport passengers association, Ignacio Rubio said: “Why should a traveler ‘undress’ in front of a scanner at an airport and not in a train station. Why not the cleaning staff also?”
“Why not use advanced technology that does not invade a person’s privacy?” he told the Publico newspaper, and complained that air passengers are tired of “paying the consequences.”
In late 2008, the European Commission abandoned plans to have the devices, which see through clothing, introduced at airports across the EU after European parliamentarians raised an outcry about their use.
A spokeswoman in Brussels said that the Commission “considers body scanners, if they meet the health standards and security standards, as a useful additional tool providing they do not contradict existing European legislation.”
Ultimately though, the 27 EU members states are free to do want they want.
European aviation experts meet behind closed doors in Brussels on Thursday to thrash out a response to the Christmas airline plot in which a Nigerian man allegedly failed to detonate a chemical bomb stitched into his underwear.
“The security committee is going to talk about the consequences of what happened,” an EU transport official said on Tuesday, and to see “what each EU member state is doing.”
This official said it was “too early” to talk about full-body scanners.
EU justice experts are also monitoring tough new security measures being introduced in the United States to try to stop any similar attacks. President Barack Obama was due to unveil an “initial series of reforms” later Tuesday.
“There has to be a clear transatlantic partnership when it comes to introducing these sorts of measures,” an EU justice official said. “We are of course observing what is going on.”
Washington has already moved to impose stricter security on flights from 14 nations while random “enhanced” checks will be carried out on all planes landing at a US airport.
Travelers from the targeted countries face extra body pat-downs and advanced screening of baggage. Imaging and explosive detection technology might also be used.
The countries include Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria — all US-designated state sponsors of terrorism — as well as passengers travelling from or via Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, and Nigeria.
US media said the other four were Algeria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Wow! Only a true perverted mind could come up with a claim like this!!!!
if you don’t like it don’t fly
Racial Profiling is 100 percent effective in Israel.
Israel has not had any 9 11 type attack nor any shoe bobmers nor anyone hiding bombs as in the Detroit case recently because Israel uses racial profiling which is far more effective than virtual stripping.
Once they start giving exemptions the terrorists will quickly disguise themselves. This selfish concern puts everyone including themselves in mortal danger.
I think that when you have a choice of Tznius vs Pikuach Nefesh, you go with Pikuach Nefesh.
travelers would be “paying the consequences” if they did not “undress” in front of a scanner, and yes! this should be done in train stations too.
There are many ways to preserve privacy without compromising the effectiveness of full-body scans. The monitor could be located in a private room, to assure that passangers and others could not see the scans, and the person charged with viewing them could not see the person being scanned. If the scan uncovered a suspicious object, then of course it would be necessary to pull the passenger out of the line for a separate search.
What people who oppose the screening may not understand is that they are asking other travelers to take on an increased risk. Maybe they can have separate planes for those passengers who don’t want to be screened and value their privacy over the increased risk of getting blown up. (Those will also be the planes the terrorists use, but at least no one will be looking at their undergarments.) Of course, they will need to recruit pilots and attendants who also are willing to take that risk.
How is this different then an X-ray at a doctors office? Are they suggesting woman stop going for doctor visits or for an X-ray? this is ludicrious. How is this immodest? Its a technitian looking at an X-ray, thats all. Nothing more and nothing less.
Oh grow up – the scans are private and necessary
Why can’t there be accomodation. All you need are at least two scanning stations with one operated by men and one operated by women. Passengers can be free to choose either line.
a full body frisk search the way they did to me when my sheitel clips set off the alarm is just as untzuisdig especially since there are people all around yet i understood that however embarassing it might be its the only safe way
i would much rather be safe and not worry about the modesty issue.
its well worth it.
This time I agree . This is the most important thing to do .first let them get the scanners installed , after it works properly we can argue about tznius details, I mean this is pikuach nefesh! We live in a sick world , we must let ourselfs be protected, I think its a chillul hashem to tell athorities -at this point- that there is a tznius concern.
The scanners cannot see into body cavities. Profiling is the only proven method of prevention. This is virtual rape.
here we go again!!!its about safety, peoples lives…..whats with these people…..you are a org that cares about peoples lives or eliminating lives shame on you!!!!!shame!!!!
To please everybody, I suggest that airlines voluntarily offer this enhanced protection on an airline rotation basis, one airline yes and one airline no full-body scanners. Let the consumers choose which planes they will fly with. And also, let airports have separate sides of the airport for the secure versus the non-secure. I’m sure that those non-full-body scanned airlines will soon see a significant loss of customers and cancel their agreement to allow non-scanned bodies fly.
WOW… We should have thought of this years ago. This will encourage all the women to lose weight!
this not so smart remark diminishes the voice of the Rabbonim.There are areas where their voice should be heeded but this remark cancels out the validity of the rabbonishe voice
More important today is 1/6 and tonight you are not supposed to learn
go do a search and see how the body shows up, it looks like a x-ray. They showed people the profile images and not one guessed it was form a human and could not tell if it was man or woman
PS Israel uses a much more sophisticated system than racial profiling. Racial profiling is only one aspect of it.
There seems to be nearly 100 percent concensus that absurd concerns about tzinius are again being used by rabbonim to block change and jeopardize the lives of yiden and goyim combined. Any concerns about tzinius pale in comparison with public safety and when in doubt, we should always err on the side of safety. Let these women stay home if they don’t want to go through the scanners.
What are they going to do if the scanners find something? The scans won’t show a shiny metal knife or a hand grenade. They will show a shadow. How will they decide whether it’s a stomach blockage, constipation, or a bomb?
What a chilul hashem to make up excuses based on a warped interpretation of halacha to obstruct better airline security. While scanners alone are not the answer, they would certainly help protects us along with better screening of passengers and more limits on flights from certain airports. We don’t the public to think that because of some ridiculous “modesty” concerns, the airlines were denied a valuable tool.
Our frum organizations have no idea how they sound so boorish and clueless in front of the rest of the world… Please, Please I beg you…. The next time you have something to say – say it privately to some Yankel from BP and don’t issue a press release…
but will these scans prevent ‘innocent’ yeshiva boys from bringing drugs on planes?
Rent a car if you dont like it!! I prefer my safety as opposed to your discomfort.
Before you all get so hysterical, let’s start with what is known about these scanners.
It seems they would NOT have detected the undiebomber’s materials, and they will not detect certain other types of explosives.
It might be wise to remember Mr. Benjamin Franklin’s words that those who prefer security at the expense of liberty will have neither.
Again, the scanner is not a guarantee that no explosives will be caught. So does that mean you still won’t fly even with those scanners you can’t wait to be subjected to?
I believe it was Colin Ferguson who shot up an LIRR commuter train in the NY suburbs. The LIRR did not, as a result, institute metal detectors at every train station. Hysteria, perhaps, and certainly faulty logic, unlike the LIRRs decision, is, essentially, what is being used here to rush these scanners into use. I wonder where the money is…
The best answer so far is to have two lines- I dont think it’ll take the gays and lesbians that long to make a decision, and they can wait on the side until they do, then get in line so we don’t all have to wait.
safety does come first but there is no reason why women can’t see the women and men see the men.
It is not pikuach nefesh to fly, but for a wedding or funeral one may not have a choice. there is no reason why men have to see the women. period. That would solve all problems.
Now does anyone know if this radiation affects pregnant women? and what about pple who fly often- how healthy is it for them to be constantly scanned?
Last but not least, who else is ordering these scanners, other than airports? terrorists!! they gotta see what they can manage to slip thru it….
“The Rabbinical Centre of Europe expressed concern”
This is a joke, right? Can’t be a serious concern. It would depict jews as selfish self serving people. You think only frum jews behave modestly? Why would frum jews expect be treated differently. What about moslems, they are extremely into modesty. This is unbelievable.
i have a totally different concern
as i understand these machines, they emit ionizing radiationn just like a hospital XRAY…
what about pregnant women or women wh do no9t even yet know they are pregnant
ask the obstetrical association about how much radiation is safe for a 6 week developing fetus..
we all know that answer
1. There was a time that heilige yidden did not allow their photograph to be taken. Issur of lo saseh kol tmuna. Some still adhere to this. That’s a far way from allowing an unclothed image of the person!
2. How would you feel about Your wife, Your mother, Your sister, Your daughter all being seen exposed by a stranger?
3. One of the ways the Nazi’s ym”sh dehumanized humans was by having them unclothed, stripped naked.
Even if the machines meant a “sacrifice” for the privacy of passengers, the “right to security is essential for all other freedoms,”
except for the right to political correctness which of course is more important than the right to security.
Lets not get carried away! millions of people travel all over the world on planes and trains and boats and buses No one ever got hurt and nobody carried explosives !!!!! Nothing ever happened in the last fifty years ! Stadiums ,games and fairs Nothing!
Lets concentrate on the economy !!!
that’s where we need some fresh ideas !! Lending!
he torah is right ….. let us not be such foolish silly fear mongered imbeciles!
I dont want my daughter to go through that horrible machine! and also medically dangerous!