Dovster

In May, I flew MXP-TLV and was very surprised when Security asked me if I have another passport (in addition to my Israeli one) and when I said that I have an American passport they told me they have to see it. They then took both passports to a table about 30 meters away, did something with them, and then gave them back to me.

When I flew TLV-AMS last week, I asked why they checked my American passport in MXP. The woman questioning me said she did not know.

Last evening, when going through the security check for the return flight, I was again asked for my American passport. This time, when I asked why, the answer was "I can't say and I don't want to lie to you."

Again, both passports were taken a short distance away, checked, and returned to me. Has anybody else here experienced this recently?

Ditto

I guess they would like to see which countries you have been to recently? e.g. you could have gone to some "not so friendly" countries from AMS?

Actually the more interesting question is what would happen if you didn't have your American passport with you...

Yoshi212

I do love the Israeli bluntly honest answer. Reminds me of my time there.

It's probably to check to see if you went to countries that Israelis might not be allowed entry to or the gov't may consider areas of concern. Once they know you have another passport they may flag your Israeli passport to ask for the second or maybe they just ask everyone with an Israeli passport.

clubman

On several occasions I've been asked go show my British passport when traveling with LY, and only handed my Israeli one.

Innocent Abroad

I also had such occurrences more than once with LY. It is highly annoying - especially them not willing to tell what is it about - and one of some reasons that keep my away from this airline.

LatusElAl

From my observations:
From TLV, Israeli security only cares about your Israeli passport (if your Israeli).
To TLV, Israeli security always asks (me, at least, for years now) for all your passports.

joshwex90

My friend was in some trouble when they asked for his South African passport and he said he didn't have it on him.

"How can you travel without your passport?"
"I'm not traveling without my passport. You're holding my passport."
"No, I'm holding your Israeli passport. Why don't you have your South African passport?"
"What do I need my South African passport if I have my Israeli passport?"
"I don't understand - how could you prefer your Israeli passport over your primary passport?"
"You clearly don't know much about South Africa. No way is my South African passport my "primary." I use it to enter/leave South Africa and it's barely good enough for that."

yosithezet

Had to show my sons US passport when he flew Blk-TLV a few months ago. Annoying. But I figured maybe it has to do with him being a minor or human trafficking. But who would traffic Dovster?

Seriously, now that I see it is happening to adults, I'm confused.

Dovster

Sarah Palin.

GUWonder

Were the two flights described above on separately ticketed PNRs? What was the full routing of the ticketed PNR?

I've seen this kind of thing asked for at TLV and by ICTS types in Europe too when passenger's ticketed itinerary includes starting in and/or ending up back in countries that are not the country of citizenship and/or legal residence of the ticketed passenger.

For example: the time at AMS when ICTS was insisting that US citizens flying to the US on DL show them ID that would either be non-existent or illegal for the passengers to possess, as in the case of a US citizen being asked for Danish ID despite the person honestly claiming to never have lived in Denmark nor to ever having been a Danish citizen/subject. This line of questioning was driven by the trip's starting and ending point being in Denmark (CPH). [But the clueless ICTS characters didn't really understand that CPH is in the top 3 O&D airports for persons from Sweden.]

There are different reasons they ask for such things, and only some of it is due to wanting to not transport inadmissible persons (some of whom use real passports in fraudulent ways, including for purposes of human trafficking). A major driver behind asking for such things is to try to measure you by your responses to such demands, even if admissibility consideration is settled.

Dovster

The first itinerary was TLV-MXP-TLV.

The second itinerary was TLV-AMS-TLV.

They were not on the same PNR.

GUWonder

It seems like they just wanted to ask you questions to see how you responded, check both passports (perhaps against some database or just for physical examination) when they realized you may have more than one, and determine what to make of your responses. AFAIK there is no Israeli requirement for a dual-citizen of Israel to travel with all the passports to which the Israeli dual-citizen may be entitled or even have somewhere.

Do you always travel internationally with your US passport in addition to your Israeli passport even for trips where you have no plans to continue onward to the US prior to returning to Israel?

Dovster

Yes. There are some countries (the Netherlands being one) where you are required to have your passport with you at all times. I don't want to risk losing it and having trouble for my return flight.

Hence, I fly in/out on my Israeli passport and go through Immigration with it as well. I then keep it locked in my hotel safe and walk around with my American passport.

GUWonder

Makes sense.

The rule in the Netherlands is for those above a certain age to be able to be identified by certain authorities under a limited set of circumstances. The penalty for not being willing and able to present acceptable ID when required by certain authorities in the Netherlands is a fine of EUR60 and/or being taken somewhere by the police so they can try to ascertain your identity.

I'm not sure that foreign passports of persons not resident in, nor citizens of, the EU/Schengen countries' domains are always considered valid ID for identification purposes in the Netherlands. In some parts of the EU/Schengen area, my US passport is not considered valid ID for identification purposes by some governmental authorities under some circumstances but is considered valid ID for identification purposes by the same or other governmental authorities under different circumstances. Welcome to government bureaucracy in action.

Some may be more willing to pay the fine if it comes to that than they are willing to have their passports subject to increased risk of loss/theft/material damage.

Ditto

While that might be the rule, I was never asked to show any form of identification in the last few years of living in the Netherlands, nor when visiting any other EU country for that matter, so passport always stays in the hotel.

In fact, flying with KLM into Germany I can even leave my passport at home, as it is not required at the airport nor in hotels.