What is the best way to travel to the West Bank?
I'm interested in taking a recreational trip to the West Bank with my mother and sibling to visit family in the next few months. My situation is a little particular, so please inform me of any nuances to keep in mind as I am planning. I am interested in the following:
- Which airport to travel to (Tel Aviv vs Amman), and if I'm even allowed through Tel Aviv (see details below)
- Logistics of border crossings, and whether or not any part of the process can be expedited (again, see below)
- Any pre-arrival work that can be done (visa request, document verification) to smooth things out
- How to deal with carrying technology (will be carrying work computers).
- Coronavirus restrictions
Me, my father, and siblings are all American born citizens. My mother is a Palestinian which moved to the US and got her American citizenship. We have made a trip in the past, but the journey through the Jordanian border crossing proved quite difficult and came with many unexpected fees. Due to rules on VIP buses and other grey area, having our US-born father accompany us was suspicious and we were told to get on another bus. This was eventually solved with unwritten 'fees'.
Additionally, our entry on the Israeli side of the crossing was only allowed for 'humanitarian reasons' and we could have very well have our entry rejected, for the following reason.
There was some trouble because my mom's then outdated Palestinian passport was not updated to record my parent's marriage, so this caused a lot of complications for us. We tried getting it updated, but strenuous requirements on marriage certificates prevented us from getting it updated completely, because we didn't have the necessary materials on hand.
Naturally, there are some things that are legal on a technicality, but prove difficult in practice (e.g., if traveling through Tel Aviv is allowed, the scenario of traveling through Israeli land and checkpoints as Palestinian-Americans proves inconsistent and can have unexpected outcomes). I suppose a call to the embassies would give the best answers to these questions, but I'm hoping seasoned travelers in this area could provide some concrete input as to the current political situation and what is not only possible as a technicality, but feasible in practice.
Best Answer
The best answer would be to check in advance and make all possible arrangements to make sure that you will be able to enter. You should check both with the Israeli embassy in the US and the US embassy in Israel to get the best answer and cover all your bases as much as possible. And you should check where you should enter, Ben Gurion airport or the Allenby bridge.
Palestinian-born Americans (or other nationalities) like your mother might have a hard time getting into Israel and sometimes are denied entry. The same goes for their children, even if they were not born in Palestine.
You can see in my answer here for examples of this or this article that describes similar events*.
I don't think that a computer or any other consumer electronics would pose any special problem. Don't bring a drone, those are problematic for everyone in many countries.
That regards entering to visit PA territories. If you want to visit East Jerusalem (including the old city) and/or places that are located in C territory, that would be the same as visiting Tel Aviv and other places in Israel. Usually, for non-palestinian Americans, there are no special problems with this, including Americans born in other hostile countries such as Lebanon or Iran, but Palestinians are a special case and all inquiries should probably be done in advance.
Regarding the COVID situation, it's hard to say, and it's an ongoing situation that changes, you can look at the US embassy guidelines regarding the COVID status in the PA and Israel (which are different).
* - Many of the sources that tell pf the stories about people being denied entry are less than supportive of Israel. Specifically in the source I add in this answer, I wouldn't trust Gideon Levi to tell me the time for sure I wouldn't completely trust his telling of an interaction between someone and any representative of Israel. But, there are enough stories circulating, to believe that some people, under some circumstances, are denied entry. Also remember that shouting at a border control officer "You wish you had the same roots as I do. You should be the one to leave, not me! I’m a daughter of this land" wouldn't help your case.
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How do you travel to the West Bank?
Travel in and out of the West Bank is not possible without passing through at least one Israeli military checkpoint. You will need a passport and immigration slip to go through these checkpoints.Can tourists go to the West Bank?
West Bank - AVOID NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL Avoid non-essential travel to the West Bank, excluding Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem, due to the unpredictable security situation.How do I get into the West Bank from Israel?
The state of Israel considers the West Bank to be a closed military zone and therefore anyone wishing to enter or leave this area must obtain the approval of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).Can you travel to Palestine right now?
You don't need a visa to enter Israel/The Occupied Palestinian Territories as a tourist. On entry, visitors are granted permission to stay for a period of up to 3 months. Visitors entering via Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport are given an entry card instead of an entry stamp in their passport.Londoners in Palestine: A Travel Guide to Ramallah and the West Bank!
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