Gotta love Israeli border security!

[pg22]

So, yesterday I'm crossing the Taba border from Egypt, into Israel.

Not fun.

Yesterday they held me there for almost three hours for security reasons. I was traveling with my friend, and I let her go first (for obvious reasons I'll describe below). Then I go and little miss Israeli army girl didn't like the look of me, but more importantly, didn't like my name. She asks me to say it, then asks me my religion. At this point I knew I was done for, and so did my girl. We had already crossed the Egyptian side and entered the Israeli side at 6:15. We ended up making the 9:30 bus :disgust:

Now, for all the reasons I'm about to list, this drove me crazy:

- I crossed the very same border, from Israel, two weeks prior.
- The girl I was traveling with, is Jewish.
- Her father, is Israeli, and served in the Israeli army.
- I had been, and currently am, staying with her (obviously) Israeli family for the previous month, and am doing so now.
- I'd been to Israel in 2003.
- I'm American, born and bred.

It was fun to give them my fathers name, grandfathers name (guess why they never asked my mothers or grandmothers ), his job (a director of a division within the Federal Government), my jobs, any numbers associated with me, home addresses, what schools I've been to, etc. Hell, I wonder if they can tell me my cumulative GPA at UCLA.

I can't tell you how smugly I wanted to just tell them that my U.S. passport helps fund their existence. Somehow I don't think that would have expedited my (very) long trip Nor have been particularly nice. I was polite and kinda gave them a 'come on' and in the end, told them thank you.

So it goes.

 

[Aimster]

Have fun in Egypt?

 

[pg22]

Heaven (Dahab) and Hell (Cairo).




EDIT: Luxor and Aswan were someone in between.

 

[magomago]

awww ftl Well you got through safely....that is the most important thing. Although I'm surprised you got flack if you are "1/2 Jewish" and already went on those "trips b/c of birthright"....nevermind the fact that you had some crazy pics with guns I wonder what she would have done if she saw those


What made Cairo hell? Hot? Thinking about it...May in Cairo must suck Or rather extend that to all summer

 

[Aimster]

Do you look white or do you have olive skin? I cannot tell the difference between and Arab and an Israeli. They all look the same to me.

I think he didn't like like Cairo because it is dirty. Very populated too. If you look at pictures of Cairo from satellite all you will see is trash on the roof.

 

[magomago]

http://www.thepouya.com/thepouya.com/About%20Me_files/Random_12.jpg

now i feel like a stalker

 

[pg22]

In Egypt they think I'm Egyptian. In Turkey they thought I was Turkish, In Italy they thought I was Italian. In LA, they think I'm Mexican.

Depending on what kind of Israeli you're talking about (for example, a European one), you can very, very. easily tell a difference between them and an Arab. But then, again, there are Arab Israelis so there goes that

 

[Aimster]

If I had to guess I would have said Lebanese.

Where are your ancestors from?

 

[pg22]

My parents are of the lineage of those abominations from 300

Wanna hear something funny? Despite the fact that I have an uncle named Mohammad, and another one named Ali, the pricks who "guard'' the Dome of the Rock refused to let me in because, "It's for Muslims only." 3 days in a row I tried, all with different guards.

I can't catch a break in this world

 

[Jaskalas]

You crossed a war zone, there?s bloodshed nearly every day back and forth between Israel and the Islamists. A sense of normalcy is just a lie, the war continues because no one has been made to surrender. You wouldn?t have to deal with the effects of that war if Israel was allowed by the international community to do all that is necessary to secure itself. Instead you?re left with an unending war and multiple generations that must deal with this.

 

[jrenz]

Originally posted by: magomago
http://www.thepouya.com/thepouya.com/About%20Me_files/Random_12.jpg

now i feel like a stalker

Total terrorist

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: pg22
Heaven (Dahab) and Hell (Cairo)..

I spent a bit of time in and around Dahab in 1994-95... that place is GREAT! And you just gotta love scuba diving in the Red Sea!

Sorry about your lengthy stay at the border, but I'll take a little bit of inconvenience anytime, if it's in the name of safety and security... such is life!

 

[Termagant]

Sounds like a great trip! Soon in the US of A we'll have checkpoints between all the states to ferret out terrist evil do-ers as well. They'll make you take your shoes off, and pour out bottles of Poland Spring liquid explosive.

 

[conehead433]

If only the US checked everyone coming in our borders.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: conehead433
If only the US checked everyone coming in our borders.

...then crossing the border would grind to a standstill...

When I enter the U.S. from Canada I normally only need to show my U.S. driver's license. However, one time when I entered Canada, I was pulled over and asked for a passport or birth certificate, which I didn't have. After a couple minutes in the border office they let me through.

 

[palehorse]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

Originally posted by: conehead433
If only the US checked everyone coming in our borders.

...then crossing the border would grind to a standstill...

When I enter the U.S. from Canada I normally only need to show my U.S. driver's license. However, one time when I entered Canada, I was pulled over and asked for a passport or birth certificate, which I didn't have. After a couple minutes in the border office they let me through.

It is now law that you must present a passport to re-enter at the US borders.

 

[imported_dna]

Passports aside, I bet conehead433 was talking about people entering through the Southern *ahem* border *ahem*.

Others are already checked, so it won't grind to any kind of a standstill.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: pg22
In Egypt they think I'm Egyptian. In Turkey they thought I was Turkish, In Italy they thought I was Italian. In LA, they think I'm Mexican.

Depending on what kind of Israeli you're talking about (for example, a European one), you can very, very. easily tell a difference between them and an Arab. But then, again, there are Arab Israelis so there goes that

They think you look Mexican in LA??? You would think people closer to the border would have a clue...

 

[shira]

Does the OP really not understand why Israel has to be super careful in admitting people at border-crossings? America has had only one terrorist strike on its soil in over five years. Israel is by comparison in a permanent state of siege.

Cut them a little slack.

 

[Srfrbum]

Originally posted by: Aimster
Do you look white or do you have olive skin? I cannot tell the difference between and Arab and an Israeli. They all look the same to me.

haha, QFTW, I just started reading the thread... thought that was funny.

 

[RESmonkey]

Check the US-mexican border like that, America....

 

[CPA]

Quit your bitchin, I was almost not let back in at the Canada border back in December. I would have had to stay in Canada....aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[imported_dna]

Join the no-passport club -- it has the benefit of zero-time spent waiting in lines