Thanks everyone about the warnings about my forays into Jordan / Lebanon. I've booked everything refundable in terms of flights / hotels outside of Israel, in case for some reason they don't let me leave. One question for anybody who has recently done this... What should I say to the immigration officer at TLV when he tries to stamp my passport? Do I simply say that I would not like it stamped, or will he need an explanation? If he needs an explanation, what should I say -- e.g., I want to take a side trip to Jordan, and so want to avoid any complications?