OPINION:
President Trump’s defensive action is mild compared to what Israel does to protect its citizens (“Former U.S. officials: Trump travel ban could endanger troops, ’do long-term damage,’” Web, Feb. 6). Two years ago, we were flying between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Tel Aviv, Israel. The government of Israel had no confidence in the security at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport. So it required us to make an unscheduled landing at Larnaca, Cyprus, where for several hours our Boeing 757, baggage, passengers and crew were screened by a permanent Israeli security detail based in Larnaca. We were interviewed. All baggage was put on the tarmac and sniffed by bomb-detection dogs. The aircraft was inspected nose to tail. Only once Israeli officials were satisfied was our plane permitted to continue to Ben Gurion International Airport.
Not a single passenger complained about the delay or inconvenience. If people are upset over President Trump’s temporary suspension, imagine what they would do if our government occasionally required aircraft to land at, say, a U.S. military base off-shore for an Israeli-style check.
RICHARD C, LEVY
Delray Beach, Fla.
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