Travelling to the forbidden land — A Pakistani in Israel
SHERAZ KHAN — UPDATED 42 MINUTES AGO
As a Pakistani who immigrated to Canada, I had always pledged to myself that the first country I would travel to after acquiring citizenship and a Canadian passport would be Israel.
Having heard stories of the Holy Land from friends, my excitement knew no bounds. That said, I was apprehensive aplenty because I had heard accounts of people who were denied entry by Israeli customs owing to their Pakistani and/or Muslim background.
On Feb 17, 2016, loaded with prayers and advice, I embarked on a British Airways flight to Israel. I arrived at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv at 5am local time.
Upon arriving at the Israeli customs, an officer interrogated me in a sombre voice:
Do I know anybody in Israel? Do I know Arabic? Have I ever been to the Middle East?
He also asked to see my Pakistani passport, which I wasn't carrying with me since it had expired.
Taking my Canadian passport, he pointed me towards a waiting area. I had earlier anticipated such a scenario and hence had brought a copy of a Lonely Planet Guide on Israel, which I then proceeded to read.
After 30 minutes, I was called in a room by another custom officer, who asked me my purpose of visit, and why I had chosen to visit Israel and not some other country. Slowly and painstakingly, he typed my answers into his computer.
After peppering me with a few other questions pertaining to my move to Canada and my profession, the officer asked me to write my full name and e-mail address on a piece of paper and then told me to wait in the same waiting area.
An hour went by before I was called by a young lady officer for another question-and-answer session. Seated in a room which had a picture of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and an Israeli flag on display, I answered just about every question under the sun.
The session lasted for about 45 minutes. In the end, I was told that she would verify all the information I had provided.
Following a wait of four hours since I had landed, a lady came to me with my passport in her hand. She handed me an entry visa on a separate piece of paper and directed me to the luggage machine.
I collected my backpack and immediately phoned my father to inform that I was finally going to Jerusalem!
...
Been to Israel once (for a week) on a training.
On my return voyage, I went to the Ben Gurion Airport.
Asked someone for the SAS checkin counter, and she pointed at a corner, "...and go to the left".
I found SAS, and they had two open check-in counters,
one with a couple of hundred in line, and one with four guys waiting.
- Thank God, I am flying business class I thought, and waited a few minutes and then I was checked in.
As I had taken two steps towards the gates, the girl at the counter cried:
Excuse me sir, You did not pass security!
So I was take aside for questioning by a girl.
- How come I flew to Israel from Helsinki on Austrian Airlines, but leave on an SAS flight for Stockholm?
: Was on an exhibition in Helsinki.
- What did You do Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? ...
: <long story>
- Do You have anyone that can vouch for You?
: <names, names, names...>
- What do You have in Your bag? DON'T OPEN THE BAG!
She kept on asking questions for fifteen minutes, then she left, and another girl came up
and started asking questions:
- How come I flew to Israel from Helsinki on Austrian Airlines, but leave on an SAS flight for Stockholm?
: Was on an exhibition in Helsinki.
- What did You do Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? ...
: <long story>
- Do You have anyone that can vouch for You?
: <names, names, names...>
- What do You have in Your bag? DON'T OPEN THE BAG!
When she was ready after fifteen minutes, she left and a third girl came up
and started asking questions:
- How come I flew to Israel from Helsinki on Austrian Airlines, but leave on an SAS flight for Stockholm?
: Was on an exhibition in Helsinki.
- What did You do Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? ...
: <long story>
- Do You have anyone that can vouch for You?
: <names, names, names...>
- What do You have in Your bag? DON'T OPEN THE BAG!
Meanwhile the first two girls compared my answers, and when they finally were happy,
after a total of 45 minutes, the first girl came back, and apologized,
and hoped I realized that it was only for my security.
So I replied:
- I don't mind that girls are interested in me, even if it is only for professional reasons!
The other passengers were curious why the third degree, but looking at the incident
from a distance, I think bypassing the security check saved me at least one hour, LOL...