Questions at Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv) in Israel: Whether you are a novice or a seasoned traveler, the thrill of having your finger poised on the “book flight now” button to Palestine is an exciting moment for anyone.
Some may get the jitters and not press that button. Those who follow through on booking a flight and making the effort to get to Palestine, however, will be warmly welcomed with a fascinating journey – one that will leave you wanting to return time and time.
Questioning at Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv) is the main concerns
The main concern for travelers, volunteers, interns, tourists, or students wanting to come to Palestine is how to physically get here. Palestine itself is not permitted an airport because of the Israeli control over Palestinian borders and access. Given this, the most direct way to get here is by flying through Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Yes, Palestine is currently a country within a country!
Travelers know that arriving at any airport involves queues, questions, and delays, which can be a bit frustrating, especially if you are tired after a long journey. However, arriving in Israel can be a bit more frustrating than these normal hassles, so it’s best to be prepared.
Upon arrival at the airport, you may find a large queue of people waiting to get through security. You may be stopped and questioned about your trip (some internationals get stopped and many others do not get stopped at all).
Questions at Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv)
If you are stopped, just remain patient, calm, and friendly and answer all the questions that you are asked. Usually, these questions are about your reasons for visiting Israel and some details of your stay in Israel. Show the security personnel your Invitation letter and tell them the reasons for your stay:
- Visiting famous places in Israel (Which is true, you will go to visit some places in Israel)
- Travel to Hebron to Learn Arabic at Engage in the West Bank, Palestine.
- There is a possibility that you may also be asked other questions, for example:
- Why you would want to visit the Palestinian Autonomous Territories?
- If you have any connections to Muslims and, or a Muslim background?
- If you know any Israeli people?
- Why you are visiting Israel and not another country?
- Some details about your life, etc.
- Repeating the same questions
They might repeat the same questions 5 or 10 times, and the questions may seem intrusive and intimidating. However, please answer the questions honestly and patiently.
Stop and question younger people
It is worth mentioning that Israeli security tends to stop and question younger people (18-35) more than older people (above 35 years). They believe younger people may be more inclined to participate in political actions than older people.
In rare cases, they may stop you for a couple of hours. If this does happen to you – and remember rarely happens – do not get stressed. It does not mean that they will not issue you a visa or deport you.
The security personnel want to make sure that you are not going to participate in any political actions. Just have patience and remain friendly and you’ll soon be issued your 3 months visa.
As a precaution, it’s not recommended that you tell people on the plane about your plans to travel to Palestine. The plane will most likely be full of Israelis, so having this type of conversation could cause controversy before you have even arrived, and it certainly will not benefit you at the airport.
Try to have the name of a hostel or a hotel in Israel
Additionally, it’s a good idea to have the name of a hostel or hotel inside Israel that you intend to stay when you arrive, even if you do not plan to stay there. We also recommend that you mention and name some places in Israel that you intend to visit during your time in Palestine and Israel.
There have been some cases of Israeli border police ordering people to open their phones and laptops to find out more information about them. Before you arrive, go through your luggage and your phone and delete anything related to the Politics of Palestine and Israel if there is any. This includes text messages, Internet history, and emails, etc. This may sound overly cautious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
You may be asked how long you intend to stay, so if you are staying for more than a couple of weeks you may want to consider changing your return flight when you have arrived through border control and are sure of your plans. Alternatively, you can say that you are traveling via Jordan, upon your return, and therefore for not yet have a return flight booked.
After passing through security, you will be issued a 3 months tourist visa, which allows you to visit and travel in and around Palestine and Israel.
Getting a Visa to Palestine and Israel
Congratulations, you have almost made it to Palestine (Around 3 hours by a shared Taxi and you will be in Hebron)! It’s important to keep the visa safely with you at all times, and it’s a good idea to have it stapled to your passport rather than wedged into a wallet. This is to avoid any disasters involving your Embassy and Israeli bureaucracy.
After collecting your luggage you have several transport options. You can take a bus, a train, or a sherut (shared taxi) from outside the front of the airport, to Palestine. A sherut should cost just 30 NIS (New Israeli Sheqel)Â and will take you to Jerusalem, which is your gateway to Palestine. Here buses leave regularly for Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jericho.
In conclusion
The only way to travel to Palestine is to come via Israel, as it controls all borders and issues all visas for people visiting Palestine. On arrival at the security check, they might stop you and ask you some questions, but this does not mean that they will deny you the visa for 3 months. Many internationals get through the entry without questions or delays.
From our experiences, Engage in the West Bank, Palestine has hosted more than 700 internationals from all over the world, and 99% get a visa on arrival without any complications. If you are traveling to Palestine/Israel for the first time, we guarantee that 99,9% of you will get a tourist visa.
The procedure sounds complicated and a bit daunting, but it’s quite simple. Just be patient and you will find even this arrival experience to be fascinating – the beginnings of the learning you’ll experience from your rewarding stay.
Any questions?
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Rafat@excellencenter.org.  Whatsapp:+972599479880
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