Exploring Israel's Use of Racial Profiling Towards Addressing Aviation-Based Terrorism

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to explore Israel's use of racial profiling techniques towards addressing aviation-based terrorism. Aviation terrorism has existed for over 7 decades, of which, the United States civil aviation industry has been the principle target of 40% of terror activity (Choi, 1994). Conversely, on July 23, 1968, Israel experienced its only successful aviation terror attack to its civil aviation system (Choi, 1994). Israel is unique and unlike the United States, in their use racial profiling techniques in order to screen its aviation passengers (Byrne, 2005). The research data for this research came primarily from interviews with a purposive sample of seven Israeli Security Agents with extensive experience utilizing racial profiling screening techniques. Participants experience ranges vary between 13-41 years. A Modified van Kaam Method by Moustakas (1994) including semi-structured, taped, and transcribed interviews was employed for this study. Throughout the interview process, 100% of the participants stressed the effectiveness of racial profiling techniques as a means of screening aviation passengers. Their explanation of the effectiveness of racial profiling techniques was based on their experience that terrorists have been commonly linked based on race and religion. These terrorists have been exclusively, of Middle Eastern Arabic decent as well as being radical Muslims of the Islamic faith. Whenever the participants described terrorists by a racial and religious descriptor, this was determined to be a categorizing effect. The category effect was an 86% consistent anomaly measured on frequency of inclusion. It was based on this common denominator association that Israel incorporated the use of racial profiling as a means to screen its aviation passengers. When the participants were asked questions on an alternative profiling technique such as those practiced within the United States, 86% of their responses began with the conclusion that the United States was profile adverse due to public sensitivity, and therefore could not consider racial profiling techniques objectively from a security needs standpoint. The participant's responses were consistent with each other by a factor of 71% in their opinions that United States non-racial profiling techniques were ineffective and resulted in wasted resources.