kmersh

Hi All,

A good friend of mine (a USA Citizen) is contemplating visiting Israeli to attend a wedding and is worried that El-Al would stop him in LA from boarding the plane due to the KSA VISA in his passport and failing that Israel would bar him entry due to the VISA.

Ironically, he visited the KSA last year to attend another friends wedding who is also friends of the person getting married this time. Obviously, the KSA would not allow an Israeli to enter the KSA, so apparently they Skyped important parts of the wedding to allow his Israeli buddy to "virtually" attend.

The Saudi I would imagine would be barred from entering Israel and as such he will I understand "virtually" attend the wedding in Israel.

To make a fairly rambling question much more simple, will my buddy with a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia VISA be allowed to board an El-Al flight in LAX and or will Israel allow him entrance to their country?

moe8555

There shouldn't be any issue. Israel typically doesn't reciprocate the treatment that the Middle Eastern countries give people with Israeli stamps/citizenship. I've read accounts of people who have been to Iran and other hostile countries that have entered without issue.

Slightly off topic, but it'd be great if you could tell us the story of under what circumstances the Israeli and the Saudi (and yourself) became friends!

kmersh

I am not entirely clear on the entire story as I only know the USA citizen.

The USA citizen and I became friends during surgical residency and have remained friends ever since.

As best I understand things, the Saudi, the Israeli and the USA citizen met as Undergraduates at University of Florida and the three of them became close friends.

My friend called me as I am the "travel guru" and thought that I might know.

Honestly, most of my "travel guru-ness" comes from this site, so credit due where credit is due.

justforfun

He will very likely be hassled about it. El Al security didn't like my Malaysia and UAE entry stamps. Asked me about them at least 5 times. After 30 minutes of questioning in Athens, was finally allowed to board.

kmersh

I figured as much, there is nothing nefarious and I told him if he tells the truth, he has nothing to worry about.

Dovster

El Al Security tends to get a bit nervous about anything which seems out of the ordinary -- even if that means suspiciously good.

A friend, who at the time was a LTC in the American Air Force stationed in Italy, with NATO Intelligence credentials, came to Israel to visit me. Think about it -- a black woman, at a high rank, with those kind of credentials, not flying out of the US but instead out of Rome. Can you get more unusual?

They were very polite to her but would not let her board before she answered a lot of questions -- and when she said she was visiting a friend here, they asked her for my phone number. They called me, asked me some things, I vouched for her, and then they let her board.

An FTer had a similar problem. In 2005 I hosted a Do in Tel Aviv. She flew Delta into ATH, she spent a few days there, and then flew on LY for 3 days in Israel. An American, flying out of ATH, and visiting for only 3 days? That seemed strange to them. Then, when she told them about the Do, and how FTers fly all over the world just to meet up with each other, they figured that she had to be making this all up.

Again, the problem was solved when she gave them my telephone number and they called me. (Women from throughout the world have my phone number but, unfortunately, use it only to get on flights to Israel.)

joshwex90

As others have noted, the friend will be fine. Since the friend will be allowed into the country, (even if there's a slight hassle at passport control,) LY won't refuse boarding, again, even if security asks more questions and does more inspections than "usual."

Hey, at least they use it to get in and not to get out

solma

I agree he shouldn't have an issue getting on if he answers all their questions.

kmersh

I myself visited Israel last year with my Wife and had a wonderful time.

Granted, we flew SWISS and they did not seem to do anything out of the ordinary with regards to security.

Returning home, we were surprised by the interview (never experienced anything like that in our lives prior) but it was harmless and actually the person was very polite. She asked me about what I would consider normal security stuff, then she asked where I met my Wife (as she is Swiss) and she commented that she thought it was a romantic story.

The interview took all of 5 minutes for each of us, my Wife was asked essentially the same questions except they did not ask her how we met.

I relayed our experience to my friend, but neither of us had a VISA from the KSA in our passports and we flew SWISS, not El-Al, so, our experience was/is not as useful to him.

I have been relaying your thoughts with him and he has calmed down a lot since he first called me, so a big thank you to y'all for your advice and experiences.

I suggested that he (if he did not already have it) get his Israeli friends cell phone number in case El-Al or any security personnel want to call him to verify.

Do you all have any other suggestions to help mitigate any potential issues?

nombody

Like others said - have a cell phone number of an Israeli friend handy. Also have the wedding invitation handy. Unfortunately since you are flying El Al from LAX you will get the interrogation by El Al security already there in LAX. Just be prepared to answer a lot of background questions and why you went to KSA, etc.

damaxer91

You'll get a lot of questions but won't have any issues. My passport is filled with Muslim countries and I fly LY quite often with no issues

Alpha Golf

Get to the airport early. Be truthful.

Cedar Jet

I'm an Aussie on an Aussie Passport and had a passport full of UAE, Qatar, KSA, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman and Kuwait. I was indeed "interrogated" (professionally and politely) for 2 hours but was eventually allowed in. I chose to travel with BA from London which meant no pre interrogation at Heathrow had I chosen ELAL.

kmersh

My buddy just got back from the wedding and we just had our first chance to chat since he departed and I wanted to update this thread and once again thank everyone for the advice.

He said that upon arrival at LAX a security officer (though not TSA) questioned him before check-in. She looked through his and his wife's passport and did ask about the KSA stamp. He explained that he attended a wedding there and was now going to Israel to attend the wedding of his other buddy from University and he handed her the Wedding Invitation.

She asked a little more about his visit to the KSA and then asked my buddy and his wife to wait there while she consulted with someone else. My buddy said standing nearby was a LAPD Officer dressed in a SWAT like uniform and small word of small worlds he happened to be a patient of my buddies and he came over to say hello.

As there were chatting the El-Al/Security Officer came back, saw my buddy talking with the Police Officer and asked him (the LAPD Officer) how he knew my buddy and he said that my buddy is his Gastroenterologist. Oddly enough my buddy said that the Security Officer became much more relaxed and the rest of the interview was conducted quickly and efficiently and he was allowed to check-in and eventually board the flight.

Upon arrival, he said that Immigration was conducted via a Kiosk which did not like his passport at first but ultimately it did accept it, though oddly it did not have any issues with his wife's passport. So nobody there questioned the KSA stamp, which he said seemed odd, but whatever.

He had a great time in Israel and thoroughly enjoyed the wedding, he said the food was out of this world good and the Sushi bar was one of the best he has ever experienced at a catered event.

That left the departure from Israel and he was prepared for an ordeal as he read on the Internet some horror stories. He said of course the interviewer did see and then ask about the KSA stamp and he explained that he attended a wedding there and now had just attended the wedding of his other buddy from University. She (he said that both interviewers were woman and that he did not see many men conducting interviews at the airport is that normal?, when my wife and I were exiting Israel we also commented that it seemed to be mostly woman conducting interviews) asked him which wedding he liked more and he said that both were nice and both grooms were close friends but he gives Israel the edge as alcohol is legal and was served at the wedding where as the KSA held wedding, alcohol is strictly forbidden and fruit juice just seemed less celebratory. Apparently that caused the interviewer to chuckle as she was not expecting that answer and beyond a few question about his home and what he does, that was it, nothing, in fact he said the LA interviewer seemed more concerned than the Israeli one did.

All in all my buddy said that he was expecting the worst and was prepared for hours but in the end it was essentially a none event.

yosithezet

Thanks for the update!