Israeli Security...

My trip to back to the Holy Land literally turned me upside down. I couldn’t sleep well for three says before my trip. I was so nervous they wouldn’t let me in the country just because I had a Lebanese stamp in my passport. I was only there for ten days but I’ve heard of people getting turned away. And, this was my only opportunity to see my family until May. Thus, I was quite anxious. I arrived in Tel Aviv at 2:30 in the morning and was dead tired. I sat next to this jerk on the plane who kept muttering in Hebrew than Israeli’s were so much better than Turks. He subtly noted peoples stupid moments or things they did wrong. I “fell asleep” real quickly once we took off. Who wants to listen to that? When I “woke up” about an hour later, he started asking me all these questions about my background, my opinions of the state of Israel and of course, of Turkey. I was irked. Fast. When I got off the plane I was selected by Israeli security, before formal security, for a few questions. I answered them and they let me go about five minutes later. I went through visa control, so nervous, and I literally wasn’t asked even one question about my passport. I was almost upset. I lost so much sleep over it and then they let me in, just like that. I was so surprised and relieved that I forgot to ask them not to stamp my passport. Now I have to renew the darn thing again! (For those of you who don’t know, if you’ve been to Israel you will not be allowed entry into several Middle Eastern nations including but not limited to Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, etc.)

Maybe that is the key. Randomness and lack of consistency? Hmm... for all you travelers out there...don't get an Israeli stamp. It complicates things. Politely ask them to for go it. Oh, and by the way, I was definitely searched again. Rather intimately. They kept telling me "we think someone is using you to plant a bomb." Well dang that would suck! So, I let them do their thing, and I really did feel quite safe on the plane. Which is the purpose, right?