A British Muslim woman faced criticism and backlash after sharing her experience going through Ben-Gurion Airport security on TikTok on her way to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this month.
“The stories kind of put me off, but I'm here to share my story of immigration and security,” the woman, who goes by the username Sanam, said, adding that she hoped her positive experience would motivate others to visit.
“They gave me a coffee, they gave me a cheese sandwich… we weren't strip-searched or anything like that, it was all good.”
Many of the comments were shaming her for “promoting” the Israeli airport, asking, “How much did they pay you?” and criticising her for speaking positively of the state.
There was also an influx of comments from Israelis and Jews welcoming her to Israel and thanking her for sharing her story.
“Thank you for sharing this,” one user wrote. “I hope for better times and peace for all.”
'One city, three religions'
In another video, Sanam filmed herself outside the al-Aqsa Mosque and said she could hear Church bells “like Erdington High Street.”
“One city, three religions,” she wrote. However, when Israelis commented praising the country’s security and freedom of religion, she responded mockingly, laughing at them and correcting those writing “Israel" to “Palestine.”