So I am american, and have at this point travelled to israel some 15 times or so over the last 3 years. Favoring american and one world makes this tough but that is another well drilled thread.

First 2-3 times no issue, all the questions all the right answers.

However the 4th time, after the xray, the bag is taken to the center island for screening. all items removed, all items wiped down. while they have the bag I am taken to an area for further inspection. So the next thing is my pants are 'requested' and my shirt. it is a dressing room style arrangement. he takes these and xrays them, and does other tests maybe.

At this point I am given back the clothes. I am then taken back to the island area and they report that it is all ok, but the bag must be checked. It was a decent size roll aboard. Not only that my briefcase must be checked as well.

I am allowed to keep only one of my phones, (I opt to keep the israeli phone since it will work in US too.)

and I am walked through the remainder of security where dispite the alarms (I was not asked to take my pen or money out before the metal detector) I am pushed through. then my security friend that I am now feeling way too close to, bids me a good trip.

After this, I let the company know I will do alot but I wont do this again. since then there is some travel trustee program that designates me a security center passenger, and now I am expedited almost to the point of being faster than the israeli's. They ask where I stayed last night, and each night, and if that matches the advance information they have, then we have a match, and I go my way.

As some of the thread responses have been of a 'none of your business' I think it is wise to know that they do not live in the world the US lives in. Canada and Mexico tend to not have suicide bombers entering to destroy the us, and take as many of us with us as possible. We did not have to recently bring our kids to work, or sleep in the basement because people were lobbing Kadusha's indiscriminately at anywhere so long as it was at Israel. In short we are not surrounded every day by every surrounding nation, at BEST tolerating us, and in the majority wanting the nation, its people, and way of life erased from the world. if we did this level of security might be seen differently.

I dont speak much (hardly any) hebrew. but I do know the answer to the question asked of me at any entrance to any public building after passing through the metal detector is no. The question is some variant on do you have a bomb/gun/weapon.

I like it better here thanks very much, but respect the measures they take to try to keep as safe as they can. And this is indeed real security. This country would not stand for it under our current circumstances, but let a few more bad things happen, and they just might.