A Note on Israeli Border Crossings

We left this morning, a group of eleven, to go to Israel for the weekend. We left at 8am and arrived at the border by 9am. It took us an hour to get out of Jordan, you have to get your passport stamped that you are leaving.  We got on a bus there and waited forever for them to come and give us our passports.  Then we drove over the Jordan River, which isn't more than 3 ft across! We got to the Israeli border and we waited there in the bus for 45 mins before we were allowed to get off and wait in a long line for another 45 mins.  This line only allowed us to enter the immigration building. 

Once inside the building, you immediately have to put your bags through a scanner and walk through a metal detector.  Now, this isn't an airport and I always travel with a pocket knife. Well, this time I had two, but still, they are only small knives.  BIG MISTAKE!! 

I walk through the metal detector, no problem. But my bag gets put through again. I didn't think anything of it because with all my photo equipment, I usually get searched every time.  So my bag sat on the floor for quite a while before someone came and picked it up. They had me open it, took out my tripod and placed it through the scanner separately. That wasn't it. They put my bag through again. The object was still there. Pawed through my bag some more. Found one knife. Put the bag through again. Something was still there. Pawed through my bag again for the third time. Found the second knife. Put my bag through again. Finally it is cleared and I can painstakingly put my bag together. (Somehow he didn't find my second passport, so that was a blessing.)  

Ok, so they have my knives.  Now what? I still have my passport at this point. I'm standing around making sure I keep an eye on who has my knives because they keep getting passed through different people's hands.  Finally one guy comes up to me and asks what my name is and to see my passport. So I give it to him. Then for probably another 30 mins my knives and passport are being passed around.  All of a sudden all the guards are yelling and running around and they make all of us run into the next area. It seems as though there is a threat outside the building and they need to get us to safety.  So I don't have my passport and now they are corralling us into a different part of the building. Great. I start talking to another couple of guys who also were being held for questioning and one tells me that "This is all bullshit, they do this to make you think something is happening, but it's bullshit."  

Sure enough, a couple mins later we are allowed back to where we were, as though nothing had happened.  Ok, so I get to talk to the Head Guy with a translator and he asks me why I have knives. I tell him "I'm an archaeologist, and I always have the knives in my bag at the dig. I took the same bag, they were left in there." Phew. This answer suffices and I get my passport back, but he keeps the knives. He tells me I'll get them when I go through customs.  I'm thinking "yeah right" but at least I have my passport back. 

We go to the next passport check (there were 5 or more!) and as I'm waiting in line the same head guy comes and gives me a note that says "CUSTOMS BEN-AMI" he says, go see Ben-Ami he will give you the knives. Ok, so I guess I might get them back! Anyway, the lady asks me why I'm going to Israel. I say to visit. She asks when I'm leaving and what I'll be doing. She then asked me if I'm going to the West Bank, and as soon as I say "no" she stamps my passport and I'm through! 

Only to stand in ANOTHER line to have my passport checked AGAIN. 

Ok, well I got my knives in the end, but the moral of the story is, if you are going to Israel across a land border. Treat it like you would an airport and leave your boy-scout toys at home :)