When you arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, you have to go through some intense questioning before being let into Israel. When you have a last name like Daifallah, that questioning is even more pointed. The name Daifallah, as you might have guessed, is Arabic -- Palestinian to be exact -- and its literal translation is "guest of God." So when I got to the wicket, the border control person recognized the name and immediately started asking probing questions.
Is this your first time in Israel? Why are you here? Do you have family in the territories? When was the last time you spoke to them? Etc. After she asked me about 10 questions, I was sent to a waiting area with about 10 other people who were waiting to be asked more questions. I then had to do a more extensive interview with another agent, who wrote down details, and then a third sort of "exit interview" with another agent who met with me and the leader of our student trip. He was able to explain to her the circumstances of the trip and my reason for being there.
I thought the questioning was a bit over-the-top. I understand the need to be prudent, and they had no idea who I was. But when it was repeatedly explained to them by myself and the trip organizers that I was part of a 25-person student trip organized and funded by the Québec Israel lobby it should have sunk in that I was not entering the country for nefarious reasons. Whatever...
All this is to say that this is the first time anything like this has happened to me, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised it happened in Israel. It didn't really bother me -- I'm just sorry it held up the whole group for about a half hour.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 11:30 PM
