The Traveled Guide

Travel, Food, and Life

Entering and Leaving Israel and Palestine

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We recently returned from a 10 day trip to Israel and Palestine. This was our second trip to the Holy Land, our first being in 2005. What set this trip apart was the size of the group we led; a total of 29 people of all ages, from their early 30s to almost 80. Thankfully, we had a very uneventful entrance and exit, but it is not always that way. Entering Israel is almost as easy as any European country, but leaving can be more…complicated.

Entering Israel

Most importantly, if you’re coming from the US, UK, and many European countries, you will not need a visa. Of course, you should check the requirements to be sure. This article assumes that you are entering and leaving through Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Entering and leaving via Jordan and the Allenby Bridge can be more complicated and is a topic for a different article.

One thing you’ll notice throughout your experiences with Israeli border security and immigration folks is that they are very professional, but polite. That is, they strive to be polite, but are clearly on a mission. Entering Israel isn’t much different from entering a European country: you arrive and proceed to passport control. The officials will ask you if you’ve visited before, the purpose of your trip, and possibly details of your lodging accommodations. It never hurts to mention, if it’s true, that you’re there for a pilgrimage. One member of our group did have a little difficulty because of a misunderstanding about where we were staying. Politeness and persistence will pay off, as will having the contact information for your hotel or guesthouse.

On our first visit, Israel still stamped passports, but would stamp a card instead if you asked. This may seem odd, but many middle eastern countries will not allow you to enter if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport and the Israelis are well aware of this. Now, the passport control folks printed a small card that you keep in your passport. I recommend taping this into your passport so you don’t lose it. You’ll need this slip to exit.

Once you clear passport control, you head out to grab your bags from the luggage carousel and then proceed to customs. If you have nothing to declare, that’s it for you. You’ll be able to walk out of the international terminal and to your transportation.

Traveling between Israel and Palestine

Border crossings between Israel and Palestine are complicated. For ease of understanding, just imagine that the crossings between Israel and Palestine are international borders. Some technically are and some are not. But, for the sake of simplicity, just imagine. The situation at crossings is fluid and can change multiple times during the day. Generally, you will have less trouble entering Palestine (the West Bank), than returning to Israel. On our last trip, we entered Bethlehem via Checkpoint 300 without issue. We were traveling via bus and the border guards let us right in. However, when we tried to leave that night, Checkpoint 300 was backed up because of increased security. We tried another crossing and it was closed to buses, so we had to travel to another crossing before finding our way out that night.

When we traveled to the Dead Sea, we had almost no security scrutiny when we left Israel, but upon returning later that day, our bus was boarded by two IDF soldiers. They were polite and moved quickly, but it can be surprising to find two armed soldiers on your bus. After sweeping the bus, they checked the luggage area underneath and allowed us to enter.

If you are traveling by foot, you’ll likely find the entry and exit process very simple. I walked to Bethlehem one night with a friend and we had trouble even finding the guards inside Checkpoint 300. When we did, they seemed quite uninterested in us, both going and coming, and basically waved us through. Sometimes it pays to have a US passport.

Leaving Israel

Just as traveling between Israel and Palestine is pretty unpredictable, so too is leaving Israel via Ben Gurion Airport. Generally, you’re going to want to get there early. I recommend three hours before your flight. You’ll quickly notice that security here is very different than in the States.

First, you’ll likely be questioned before you even exit your vehicle. As with all government and military officials, answer politely, efficiently, and skip the schtick. More importantly, answer completely, but do not offer a lot of additional information. If they want to know more about your trip, don’t worry, they’ll ask. The more information you give, the more interested they’re going to be in your travel.

When you get to the airport, you’ll notice that the ticket agents are beyond security. You’ll find out what departure hall you’re going to (A, B, C, or D) and head over to the security line. Your carry on and checked baggage will be scanned right away, while it’s still in your possession and your passport will get a barcode sticker. This sticker will determine what your next step is. Some people will be allowed to proceed to the ticket counters, while others will have been selected for additional screening. Of course, I was selected.

Picking up my bag from the scanning machine, I headed over to the inspection counter. After a short wait, a young woman waved me over and told me to open my bag on the table. She carefully searched my entire bag, pulling a lot of gear out, examining some things, asking a lot of questions about my trip and the items in my luggage, and apologizing for the depth of the search. To her credit, even though the search was invasive, she was very nice and we chatted a bit about her wanting to visit the US and how she was saving money to do so. During this time, she asked a number of questions about my travels, who packed my bags, if anyone had handled my bags, and some general questions about my trip.

Once the inspection was over, she helped me repack my bag and guided me to the ticket counter. The upside of this level of security was that I was escorted to the front of the ticket line. I actually headed to the station manager’s counter where he quickly printed my tickets, checked my bag, and had me on my way. The security agent was responsible for escorting me to this point and making sure I kept moving, so with her job done, she wished me a safe trip and I headed into the next layer of security. For some people, however, this isn’t the end of security. On our first trip, we then had to go to a private screening area where we were carefully inspected, subjected to more questions, and even had to partially disrobe for security screening.

From here, you’d recognize the security procedures. Stand in line, go through the x-ray machine, open your carry-on, answer more questions, and then you’re done. This process was a little slower and less efficient than the first layer of security, but still not as inefficient as you’re likely used to in the States.

A final note, as you board the plane, there is another small security check. Generally, this is just a quick glance at you and your bag, but you’ll have to toss any beverages you have, so be prepared.

 

Second Day in Israel–2014

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I covered our events of the first day here, so if you haven’t read that yet, you might want to catch up a bit.

The second day in country was an early start. We met our bus and driver after an early breakfast and headed east towards the Dead Sea and Masada. Once you travel over the hills outside Jerusalem, the entire landscape changes dramatically. Although all of Israel and Palestine is desert, the western part of the country does get a bit of rain coming off the Mediterranean. But the hills east of Jerusalem prevent most weather from traveling to that part of the country, so you’re really seeing an extremely dry part of the world. As we left the Jerusalem area, we passed through a checkpoint and entered the West Bank, territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Getting into the West Bank is not terribly complicated, but returning to Israel proper is a bit harder.

As we traveled deeper into the West Bank, the terrain sloped down gently, dropping to 1,401 feet below sea level when we arrived at the Dead Sea. As you travel down the west coast of the Dead Sea, Masada becomes visible long before you get there. Although there are a number of significant hills, Masada stands out because of the flat top that’s immediately noticeable.

With such a large group, we chose to take the cable car to the top of the mountain, although a walking path is available and provides a beautiful view of the surrounding area as you hike up. Masada is known for the Siege of Masada, where Jewish rebels resisted troops from the Roman Empire. You can read more about the Siege at Wikipedia, but the Jewish stronghold was compromised by a siege ramp built by the Romans. Upon arriving at the top of the mountain, the Romans discovered that the entire population of rebels had committed suicide instead of being captured.

What was most amazing about Masada, to me at least, was the ruins of the Roman encampments, still visible from the top of the mountain.

Roman Forts, as seen from Masada. Photo Credit: Steve Sooy

Roman camps, as seen from Masada. Photo Credit: Steve Sooy

After an excellent tour of the top of Masada, we traveled back down to the visitor center and boarded the bus for our trip to the Dead Sea. It’s nearly impossible for me to describe the feeling of floating in the Dead Sea. imagine trying to hold a ping pong ball underwater with only one finger. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to float vertically in the sea, as the salinity causes you to float on your back. A word to the wise: Do not taste the water. It’s not just salty, but has a very bad metallic flavor that you just can’t shake. One thing you’ll notice as you enter the water is the salt crystals built up on the rocks. They are very sharp and can easily cut your feet and legs, so I recommend wearing water shoes to get into the water. You’ll also want to take a shower before you leave, as the salt can be very irritating.

Floating in the Dead Sea. Notice the salt crystals in the foreground. Photo Credit: Don Sanders

Floating in the Dead Sea. Notice the salt crystals in the foreground. Photo Credit: Don Sanders

Our next stop was Qumran, site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. For me, this location was not as awe-inspiring as Masada or the Dead Sea, but much more meaningful. You can read the biblical stories of the wilderness and imagine the desert that is frequently referenced therein, but until you actually see this place, it’s nearly impossible to appreciate the barren and solitary nature. As you look out over the caves where the scrolls were discovered, you feel the strong wind, whipping down the eroded hills and cliffs. You feel the sand blowing against your face, the dryness of the area noticeable in your dry lips. Looking around, the stories of solitude, of temptation, take on a new and deeper meaning.

Leaving Qumran, we traveled by bus north to Tiberias and The Galilee. While entering the West Bank is reasonably simple, returning to Israel is a bit more involved. We stopped at a simple checkpoint and waited as three armed IDF soldiers walked the aisle of the bus and checked the luggage holds. Not invasive at all, and the IDF soldiers were always professional and courteous, but a significant change from our entry into the West Bank.  Our journey took us up Highway 90, which parallels the Jordan River.. As we passed the edge of the central mountains, the landscape changed a little, with more vegetation and life becoming visible as our journey continued north. Arriving at the Golan Hotel, the group disembarked, checked into our rooms, and then enjoyed a huge Middle Eastern feast at the hotel restaurant. A few of us stayed up, enjoying the cool Galilee evening and good wine and conversation as we prepared for another full day touring The Galilee.