Arab civil rights group questions Israel’s airport security practices

JERUSALEM - A civil rights group is challenging Israeli airport security practices. The group says Israel singles out Arabs for closer inspection, and that’s racisim.

But experts say the practice, which is known as profiling, is vital to security and saves lives. They say attackers aiming at Israeli aircraft are most likely to be Arabs.

The Israeli civil rights group challenged the practice before the Israeli Supreme Court on Wednesday. Israeli-Arabs complain frequently that they are taken aside for unpleasant security checks. But the Israeli government isn’t prepared to admit that it practices profiling. Government lawyers are refusing to disclose details of security policy in open court sessions.