A passenger chose to humiliate G., who was then working as a border control officer at Ben Gurion Airport, hurling vile racist insults at her in front of many other travelers — without a shred of shame.
The slurs included: “You Black woman,” “Kushit” (a Hebrew racial slur for Black people), “Your parents are monkeys,” and “You won’t work here anymore.”
G.’s only “offense” was standing up for an elderly woman’s right to a fair place in line, asking the passenger to wait his turn. In an instant, she went from being a dedicated service provider to a victim of a shocking, hateful outburst. The passenger continued to curse, threaten, and even raised his hand toward her while shouting, “I’m about to do something I’ll regret.”
But G. did not remain silent.
Despite her pain — and despite having lost her father at age eight, making the vile words hit even harder — she chose to fight back.
The Magistrate’s Court ruled that these were indeed racist statements constituting serious defamation and awarded her NIS 45,000 in compensation.
Sadly, we continue to witness repeated incidents of racism and discrimination that undermine the core values of a democratic and equal society.
Tebeka will continue to stand firm and use every legal tool at our disposal to ensure a more just, equal, and healthy society for all.
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