Contact with Israelis in Palestine: When people decide to come to the Excellence Center, they have at least one of the following two motivations. They usually want to learn Arabic and/or volunteer on behalf of Palestinians. Because of these motivations, many volunteers are already aware Palestinians are not terrorists, Hebron is safe, and the atmosphere in Palestine is very welcoming. If you want to know how to prepare for life in Palestine, the website has plenty of articles to guide you. But I’ve noticed that there is a certain amount of ignorance about Israelis.
Why is this important? Because you will deal with Israelis. Some will deal with Israelis more than others, but if you are coming to Palestine, they are unavoidable. Because of the occupation, this leads some people to panic, assuming that everyone who has any secret sympathy for Palestinians is a target of the Mossad. People sometimes act like they will have all their communication secretly monitored and be imprisoned if they utter the word, “occupation”. If you’re interested in feeling like your trip is a great adventure, go ahead, keep thinking that. If you want to get some work done, keep reading.
No, this is not a pro-Israeli diatribe. I have no intent to discount or justify the occupation. The intent is to tell you what the occupation means to you, a foreigner, in practical terms, and how to deal with it. It’s easier than you think. The advice I’m giving is general. I can’t say that you will never receive extra attention from Israeli security, but in general, contact with Israelis is fairly unremarkable.
Your first and likely most stressful contact with Israeli security will be on your flight. If you fly on El Al, it will be before your flight. If you fly on another airline, it will be at customs. When they ask you questions, it’s easiest if you just tell them the truth, or at least a moderate version thereof. They expect a certain amount of visitors will be sympathetic to Palestine, but the people they want to stop are those planning to engage or assist in violent action. You’re just planning on teaching about human rights, English, or learning Arabic. You’ll get some attention, but you will almost certainly pass through.
The reason you shouldn’t lie is because it’s not worth the effort, and if they find out you’re lying, then you’ve got problems. Also, many of the lies are counterproductive. According to an article in Business Insider “If you joke about your visit, or your travel plans are vague (no return ticket, hotels or Airbnb not booked in advance), you could be detained and searched for hours.” Unless you’ve spent serious time working for an intelligence agency developing cover stories, you’ll probably get caught in your lie. If you do, they probably won’t care enough to deny you entry, but they’ll probably question you longer.
Many volunteers got through customs with different stories of how much truth they told and how long they were detained. My story is like this. I told them I was going to the Excellence Center in Hebron. Yes, the Arabic side. I studied Arabic, Russian, and Spanish, and I want to study and practice Arabic. When they asked if I was going alone, I told them that I was, but there are other foreigners volunteering there. When they asked where I was staying, I told them the Excellence Center would show me when I arrived. When they asked for confirmation, I showed them an email chain with the staff at the Center showing that they were expecting me. They told me to wait. After about 15 minutes, another person asked me why I was going to Hebron. I said I wanted to go from studying Arabic to practicing Arabic. He gave me my passport and directed me to the baggage claim. I have no idea if my luggage was searched.
Worst case scenario, they buy you a ticket back home. You won’t be detained unless you’re a serious and violent threat.
If you stay in Hebron, you may not have to deal with Israelis until your return flight. I have heard, but not witnessed, that Israeli soldiers sometimes occupy part of H1 Hebron. If that happens, don’t go out in the streets. On the other hand, you may want to travel to Israeli territory. There are Arab cities in Israel like Acre and Nazareth that are worth visiting. Jerusalem is a useful destination for the types of goods and services that are only available in bigger cities. There is a bus that goes between Jerusalem and H2 Hebron that is sometimes more convenient than the Arabic modes of transportation. For these, and other reasons, you may decide to spend some time around Israelis.
If you so decide, just remember, that as a person with a foreign passport, you are privileged. Israelis aren’t allowed in most territory administered by the PA, including H1 Hebron, and Palestinians need special permission to go to Israeli territory. Relatively speaking, you’ll just breeze right through. You’ll notice this on your way to Hebron. You can choose a path that avoids checkpoints, but even if you don’t, all you have to do is go through a turnstile. There are few, if any, regular security checks when going from Israeli to Palestinian territory. When going in the other direction, the hardest part is waiting your turn. Some places make you put your stuff through x-ray machine, but once you show them your foreign passport, you’ll be waved right through.
When talking to Israelis, it’s best to avoid politics. The same can probably be said in Palestine or your home country. If you do find yourself in a political discussion, you may be surprised by the content. Sure, they won’t advocate for the dissolution of Israel claiming that its establishment was a crime against the local Palestinian population, but there are many Israelis who are against settlements in the West Bank. If the discussion is with a settler or a religious person, they’re more likely to talk about how only Jews have a right to the whole land.
When it comes to Israeli soldiers, you’re likely to find them a varied, but mostly disinterested, lot. Since the Army is mandatory, people from all different backgrounds put on a uniform. Most soldiers will immediately pick you out as a foreigner and not bother you. Those that do are likely to find you a curiosity, wondering why you’re in an Arabic area. As with the conversation at the airport, I’ve never had trouble telling the truth.
On your way out, there’s a good chance your luggage will get searched and you will get questioned. After all you spent a long time here, you were in the West Bank, and you weren’t in a tour group. During this search, keep in mind that they’re more interested in stopping a bomb on a plane than they are in confiscating pro-Palestinian paraphernalia. This is about security, and once you’ve landed, you’re no longer their problem. I’m not saying that a luggage screener with a grudge won’t “lose” your Palestinian souvenir, but the official policy according to the Ben-Gurion airport’s website is that they are only looking for dangerous items that can be used as weapons. Assuming you aren’t planning to hijack the airline, there’s even less reason to worry about the questions. Even if you try to antagonize them, what are they going to do about it? It’s really in their interests to get you on your flight… right after they make sure you’re carrying no weapons. But still, I recommend being more diplomatic than that. It’s not a good idea to encourage security to give you a more thorough search and interrogation.
