A Geraldton man has been left with a broken jaw requiring emergency surgery after a violent confrontation with security guards at an Israeli airport.

Ben de Jonge, 41, said he had been anticipating a happy reunion with his Israeli wife Neta and two young children when he arrived at Tel Aviv airport on Wednesday after a long flight from Australia.

Being an Israeli resident for the past five years he was familiar with the airport security process.

The last thing he expected was to leave with a broken jaw.

Speaking from his hospital bed to a 7 News reporter, Mr de Jonge said he had explained to female security officials he was tired from the flight and did not wish to answer their questions. He said staff had understood.

However, a male security official was called as he walked off. The official repeatedly ordered him to sit down, which he refused. Mr de Jonge said it was then that the official punched him in the jaw.

“The next thing I was on the ground. Out of nowhere. I didn’t see it coming,” he said.

“I’m still in shock. I don’t know where it came from.”

An airport medic attended to his injuries before he was taken to hospital. His jaw was broken in two places requiring emergency surgery.

“He was an animal, you know. Even when I was sitting down in handcuffs with the blood dripping on the floor he was there staring at me like he wanted to kill me,” he said.

“He just wouldn’t stop staring at me. I swear to god the guy belongs in a cage. It’s not real.”

Mrs de Jonge was at the airport waiting for her husband with their children when she received a call.

“I got a phone call saying Ben is under investigation and we can’t see him in the next hour or two so we had to wait outside,” she said.

“I tried to get more information from the person that rang me but he wasn’t willing to give it to me.”

A panicked Mrs de Jonge found out about the assault and struggled to explain the situation to their children.

“Not the way we were expecting to get Dad after two weeks in Australia,” she said.

“Yesterday when they came to see him (in hospital) they were in tears.”

Mr de Jonge is recovering in hospital after a seven-hour surgery to put his jaw back in place, and the emotional toll the attack has taken is clear.

“Emotionally… I’m not good,” he said.

“I’m better than yesterday after the surgery. The last two days lot of pain and I just couldn’t think. Spent the last two days staring at the wall.”

A statement from Tel Aviv airport said Mr de Jonge refused to identify himself to a security official.