Old City walls, Jerusalem. June 2018
[from FB post: June 24, 2018}
Ben Gurion Airport security. Scary strict. Stupid questions... I mean if you were so concerned I worked in Saudi Arabia, why did you let me enter your country?
Comments:
MA
I’ve heard they have the toughest security. And yes, I kinda wondered how easy/hard it is to get between Israel and Jordan, and which direction might be tougher. So I can imagine adding KSA to the mix complicates things. I’d definitely want to do the two countries if/when I go,....Hopefully, you’ll see Petra soon! Or wherever you’re going.
CN
I was wondering if you had issues entering given your Visa stamps!
My beef was that coming INTO the country immigration was easy as pie and all smiles. EXITING, not immigration, but security (an independent check that takes a VERY long time) asks all kinds of invasive questions. Rip my bag apart... go ahead. Ask me questions about my life in an accusatory tone... fuck off.
MA
Wow. You’d think it would be tougher to enter than leave. That’s terrible that they rip your bag apart.
MM
How long did it take you to go through.... so that I can plan ahead.
MM plan 3 hours before your flight. It takes time...
MM
Thanks! I’ll do that
GH
I hate going through Ben Gurion...
SL
Yes every few km, they have security check points. Tour guide told us to just stay calm and behave well. If they are suspicious of someone, they can interrogate him for hours or for even more than a day.
DS
That’s always how it is there Matthew. Their concern is flight security. When you entered the flight has already landed safe. Happened to us too. It’s their country and they have been through a lot - their airline is one the safest in the world and this is the reason! Got to respect that.
If they have checked my bag thoroughly and it is ok, I have no problem. I was really checked over going to Australia once and it was annoying but acceptable. If they profile me and check my bag AND still need to ask all those questions? I just think something else is afoot.
Airport Security
Ben Gurion Airport security is legendary, but it is nothing until you have actually faced it. The FB post above made me recall several other security incidents in all my miles of travel.
Charlotte, North Carolina
I was home from Indonesia and must have flown to Charlotte to see my brother and his family while they were living there. I was departing and got stopped at the security checkpoint. I was shocked. What on earth could I have in my carry on bags? A Javanese shadow puppet! The slender sticks used to hold up the puppets are made of horn and actually long and sharp (almost like a thick knitting needle). I was carrying it as a gift to my next destination (I don't even remember where and to whom!). It was a protracted discussion. I got the point, but also found it frustratingly hilarious. "Man hijacks plane with shadow puppet" kept going through my mind. Good on the security for pointing it out - they did eventually let me pass. After all, it was "just box-cutters" that lead to 9-11 and that particular incident occurred pre-9-11.
Changi Airport, Singapore
I had travelled through Changi hundreds of times and never set off any alarms. Once again, casually passing through, I was surprisingly stopped and told my keychain was an issue. I was astonished. The item in question? A very small, blunt, sword-like dangle on my recently gifted keychain from RN, a Nepali friend working in UAE. He had applied for a new job in the telecommunications sector in Dubai and was accepted. Previously a barista at my favorite coffee shop in Dubai, he gave me the keychain so I wouldn't forget him. It was such a sweet gesture that I immediately used it. The weird thing about that security issue was that I had passed through multiple airports and Changi itself several times with that very keychain before anyone took issue with it. No amount of explaining would convince security. Sorry RN, I had to give up the keychain.
Melbourne, Australia
We were on one of our many trips down under from Indonesia and found a cheap ticket on Malaysian Airlines. We flew from Singapore to KL and then direct to Melbourne. Upon arrival we knew something was amiss. Immigration was fine, but something was happening at baggage claim. The ENTIRE flight's bags were being opened and checked aggressively. The bags were being ripped apart, literally. I didn't mind it that much except it meant hurriedly repacking everything and worrying that maybe we missed something because everyone was being rushed through. What happened? A drug smuggling tip off. That experience was just odd, but more of an annoyance. In all my travels, it was a one-off, but several friends told me they had the same experience SEVERAL times over the years. Wow.
Amman, Jordan
I once read that for a true security pat down, unless you felt "invaded", they were not doing a good job. Again, I thought it was an exaggeration as I had never felt uncomfortable during a security pat down. Then, I flew through Amman a few times one summer. I went through the scanner and assumed the position for body check. He squeezed EVERYWHERE. Suddenly I thought, "if this is my first experience of feeling 'invaded' then world security must be lax indeed." It happened every time I passed through the airport (which was several times that summer). I thought of my favorite female impersonator/comedienne, Coco Peru. She would probably have indignantly said, "What do you think you are doing?? Wait... ok, ga'head!" ha!
Tel Aviv, Israel
The pinnacle of bad security experiences was, of course, in Tel Aviv. Upon entry into Israel I was steeled for being grilled by immigration. All I got was "First time to Israel? Tourist? Have a nice time, sir". I literally "walked" into the country and I thought all that talk about strictness at the airport was nonsense.
Then I had the pre-check-in security check for my flight to Amman. The security officer was surly and rude. She questioned me at length about my work, why I lived in Muslim countries for such a long time, and what I planned to do in Amman (where I had just come from and held a connecting ticket to Madrid). The questions were more like a US immigration officer would ask someone who they felt had a dodgy visa. I was flummoxed. Was I not going to be permitted to LEAVE Israel? I admit, I had a good time, but I didn't plan on immigrating. After some shockingly nervous moments, she went to talk to her supervisor and came back to announce I could pass. I told her "I hope one day someone treats you as you treated me". I loved my time in Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank - but that airport experience made me seriously reconsider a return trip.
Why the photo of the old city walls of Jerusalem? I imagine the city gates had security checks through the ages, too. Maybe Ben Gurion type security has been with us all along...
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