Exactly that, and there are 2 things to consider:
1. You had one of the earliest flights, if you would have arrived 30 minutes later, it might have been a different story
2. Security questioning can sometime take long time, and you have no way to know that in advance

If you only have carry-on and can get your boarding pass from the kiosks in the check-in area, you avoid the biggest and most time-consuming headache of all, which is the physical checking of the luggage. A CF of varying proportions, depending on the airline. Most organized and least painful is CX, with El Al by far the worst, and IB somewhere in between.

In that case, you can go through the whole circus in about 30 minutes. If you have to stand in line to check your bags, you're looking at 1:30 as an opening bid.

Interesting.

I had luggage to checkin, but it was pretty quick (separate line for Lufthansa Business class helped). The bag was not physically checked.

fwiw, Lufthansa checkin counters are in the arrivals section. Glad we spotted that sign early on as we were driving into the airport.

There isn't a security screening of the luggage anymore as this is now handled after check-in (that changed a year or 2 ago), but the queues for the security questioning before check-in can be a mess sometimes if you can't use the priority lane.
If you don't have luggage to check-in, you can proceed to the "HBO questioning" queue, which is probably better for non-priority pax.

when u least expect it
 

I'm not sure I have too much sympathy. With a long list of Arab countries previously visited including Iran combined with a highly unusual routing (AMM-TLV-SFO), it's not surprising one would undergo a more thorough security check.

Indeed! Although too many red flags in this case ... :eek:

I had friends getting the same treatment for "transiting" from Jordan via land to depart from TLV...

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I actually had a pretty similar experience when I flew RJ from Amman to New York earlier this year. I was connecting from TLV, and the transfer involved a security check plus some questioning. Then, at the gate for the NYC flight, there was another layer of security which included a thorough search of my carry on luggage (they also took everything out), a rather uncomfortable personal search and some more questioning. Not a pleasant experience, but -- being Israeli -- I can understand and appreciate their thoroughness.

Shuly

How long does it take to fill up a car and return it to Avis? Is there anything I should know about finding a gas station and getting to the terminal? I picked up the car in Petah-Tikva and may yet choose to return it there the day before & cab in to TLV the morning of my flight.

Also, any advice about recent security wait times would be appreciated. I'm on the 12:15pm flight this Thursday.

There is a gas station next to the entrance from road 40 which would probably make sense from you coming from Petach Tikva, filling up the car wouldn't take you more than 10 minutes, otherwise plenty others in the city depends on where you stay.

If you decide to go through road 4 and then road 1, it's more tricky, so fill up before leaving the city and going on the highway

From PT just take Route 40 towards Route1(TelAviv/Jerusalem Hway) when you see Airport City on your right side there should be a Left turn and sign for the airport. Although theres a gas station right before you enter the airport Id load up in PT, not sure that staion will take CCs and non_Israeli ones at that

Do not get onto the Hway to TLV you will waste a ton of time getting to where you return your car. Once you enter the airport (pass security check) stay in your Left lane and follow the Orange signs for "Car Rental Return" you make a left to enter the lot (although you can turn left just before the UPS building) better to follow then signs and turn Left after UPS. Id say 2 mins after going thru the security checkpoint.

There are 2 quick roundabouts and then look for the sign for Avis returns, it may be a right before exiting the 2nd roundabout as its split evenly among the companys if you need that 1st right in the 2nd roundabout or the 2nd right, it depends on which side East or west that Avis is on in the lot

Only Hertz cars get returned to T3 where everyone gets their car from

Agreed with taking Highway 40 and filling up at the Dor Alon gas station at the entrance, and then following signs to T1 car rental returns.

Working backwards, I'd recommend leaving PT at 7:45

I wont say where Im driving from when heading to TLV for my departure flight, suffice to say alot further then PT is from TLV. I always load up with gas the night before and then head to my hotel, the next morn a 5km errand and then to the airport, never have I returned the car with the fuel gauge less then Full

Then again most times after getting the car and getting onto Route1 the gauge falls off of full. So Im basically bringing it back as I got it

also 1 less item to have to do and if theres an accident on the road it can result by having to stop and fill up missing my flight

btw does that Alon take CCs from Hutz? I tried at several up North and was told no way not even inside either an Israeli CC or ca$h. I always answer I dont have an Israeli CC and whats Ca$h