Cebu City, Philippines – An Israeli was arrested at the Mactan Cebu International Airport today for cracking a bomb joke.
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Eliav Goali, 24, was arrested by members of the 7th Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS) led by Senior Police Officer 1 Cesar Lubiano.
Police Officer 1 Ricky Calong said Goali was supposed to board Cebu Pacific flight 5J572 bound for Manila when he joked about having a bomb hidden in his shoes.
“There’s a bomb in my shoes,” the Israeli was quoted as saying during the final security check to an airport employee while his shoes were passing through security inspection through an X-ray machine prior to boarding the plane, according to investigator to Police Officer 3 Marvin Bolic.
Goali, a tourist, is from Jerusalem was on his way back to Manila with his cousin Naor Nariski, 25. Narkisi opted to stay with his friend.
Calong said Goali apologized for making the joke but he was nevertheless arrested for violation of Presidential Decree 1727 or for making a false bomb threat.
The Israeli national was brought to the Lapu-lapu City police station where he would be detained after he undergoes a medical check up, pending the filing of appropriate charges against him, according to Calong.
Goali said he has no idea that such jokes are strictly prohibited under the law.
This is so surprising. Israelis, who live with these kind of threats all the time, are much more sensitive to the severity of joking about these matters. I can’t believe he did something so stupid, as the Israelis are usually more aware about this than the rest of us
I wonder is this would happen in the US?
What an idiot! And to #2 commenter (Abba) – It certainly would happen here in the U.S. as it is against Federal law to joke about bombs and hijacking etc. while in a U.S. airport.
Similar story happened in UK last year. They ask at security: “Do you have anything suspicious in your bags?” (as they are being xrayed) so someone said, “Yes, a bomb.” They were taken seriously & arrested for making a false bomb threat.
There is also a large illuminated sign just before security in airport in LA – “All comments regarding guns and bombs are taken seriously. Please no jokes.”
in this climate, he should have known better not to make such a joke.
dumb kid
What a yukel! He needs to be paraded around the airport in a dunce cap for a week or so and then sent home in the cargo hold.
These young Israelis are known for misbehaving and being disrespectful internationally….
Airport security are known for their no-nonsense approach to these jokes which is quite understandable. I have a friend who did a similar thing; when the lady at the check-in counter asked if anyone had given him anything to take in his luggage, he mentioned that some guy named Achmed gave him some ticking thing to bring. Needless to say, she didn’t find it funny, but rather alerted the security. He eventually lost his ticket and got blacklisted from the airline altogether. Bottom line, save the jokes for later!
Goali is lucky. If a Filipino had made the same joke at the Tel Aviv airport he would have been shot dead on the spot.
#2 : Not true – Israelis have a very thick skin. In fact, during the second intifada, a tv show that mocked bombings was a major hit. Once, there was a friday bombing (in the Shuk in Yerushalayim, I think) and instead of cancelling the show that night, like any TV channel in the West would have done, the show was aired a little later than it’s regular time.
And #10 : That is ridiculous. I expect that you have not spent any decent amount of time speaking to Israeli youth. If you were to have done so, I am sure that you wouldn’t make such foolish generalizations. Yes, many are wild and ruly, but the great majority are mature and socially aware young adults. Spend time in the US army and in the Israeli army, compare notes, and you’ll soon see what I mean. (And fyi, I’m English.)