TEL AVIV — A British Muslim woman has drawn widespread attention — and sharp backlash — after posting a TikTok video describing a positive experience passing through security at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport, challenging widely held perceptions about treatment of Muslim travelers.
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The woman, who posts under the name Sanam, shared footage earlier this month recounting her arrival in Israel en route to visit Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque. In the video, which quickly went viral, she said airport officials treated her respectfully and without harassment.
“They gave me a coffee, they gave me a cheese sandwich,” she said. “We weren’t strip-searched or anything like that. It was all good.”
Sanam said she decided to document the experience after hearing negative stories that initially made her hesitant to travel. She said she hoped sharing her account would encourage others to judge the experience for themselves.
The video sparked a flood of online reactions. Critics accused her of “promoting” Israel and questioned her motives, with some commenters asking whether she had been paid to post the video. Others expressed anger over her decision to speak positively about Israeli security procedures amid the ongoing war.
At the same time, many Israelis and Jewish users thanked her for sharing her experience and welcomed her to the country. Several commenters said her post offered a rare counter-narrative to claims of systemic mistreatment at the airport.
In a follow-up video filmed in Jerusalem, Sanam described hearing church bells near the al-Aqsa Mosque and wrote, “One city, three religions.” That post also drew mixed reactions. When some Israelis praised Israel’s religious freedoms and security, she responded dismissively, correcting users who referred to Israel by name and instead calling the area “Palestine.”
The videos highlight how even personal travel experiences can become flashpoints online amid heightened political tensions surrounding Israel and the Palestinian territories.
@sanam_hussan Tel Aviv airport experience ✈️ Not as bad as expected, overall okay, smooth in parts, a bit intense in others. Just sharing my experience. #TravelTok #AirportExperience #TravelVlog #FlyingInternational #HonestTravel ♬ original sound – Sanam 🍉
HOW DARE SHE SPEAK THE TRUTH TO MUSLIMS!
Her posting was excellent, as she related her experiences at Ben-Gurion, exactly as they occurred. I’m glad that she was not intimidated, and had the fortitude to describe her positive experiences at Ben-Gurion. This story reminded me what occurred back in 1974, prior to the wounded Syrian soldiers being repatriated to Syria, several months after the Yom Kippur War ended. They were surprised and elated about the excellent and humane medical care and treatment that they received from the Israelis not only in the hospital, but also in the prison where they were kept, prior to their repatriation to Syria. Their release took a long time, since the Syrians were very stubborn regarding the exchange of prisoners. Also, the Syrian authorities found how well their soldiers were treated, and were not pleased that word of their treatment would leak out. Therefore, once the Syrian soldiers returned home, they were warned in no uncertain terms not to say one word of their good treatment by the Israelis, or they would wish that they were never born. Unfortunately, the reverse was not true, as the Syrians treated the captured Israeli soldiers very brutally.
Kol.hakavod for admiring the airport and then proceeding to call Israel Palestine for all the online fans. A real friend of ours
Wondering about security of jew if he landed in iraq airport.just asking for a friend
Its a shame that in the so called “Jewish State”, the Muslim has great thing to say about her treatment. But that innocent Yeshiva Bucher that wanted to hold onto his religion and refused to enlist in the army, gets arrested, beaten, humiliated, and tortured.
…להיות עם חופשי
If she and her husband are not a radical or extremist, or done anything illegal or criminal, then they shouldn’t have anything to worry about, especially if she is civil about it all. Its the same with those stopped by the police. The problem is always going to be those who resist, who are radical or extremist. Those are the ones who who will be fully interrogated, who will do it on purpose and then kick up and make a fuss, when they are the security issue in the first place.
Those who bless you will be blessed
“quick, ahmed, pay her to shut up!”
security in tivat montenegro does strip checking.
or maybe they only do it to jews?
When i landed at BG Airport to attend levayah of my father z:l i explained to the police there that i need help because i don’t know how take care of the kevurah. The police called the number i gave him of the chevrah kadisha. Then the police said to me in English to come with him. He and his partners will give me a ride the meeting point. When he reached the place after around fifteen minutes of highway driving, he opened the door for me and i got out. Before leaving me and driving back to his watch post, he bowed and said with sincerity [in Hebrew] “We share in your grief. Name any other country in the world where they show such compassion!
Since when do they give coffee and cheese sandwiches in the airport well said that she was paid for it they should pat down and deny entry to these muslim thugs who are entering to make problems