Israel Immigration calls tourist “poor pig” and deports eTN Writer from the Land of Creation

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Egypt is one of the most popular tourist destinations not only for Ukrainian visitors. Diving in the Red Sea is a must when exploring the Sinai part of Egypt.
One of the most popular bus-tours in Sinai is a tour from Sharm El Sheik to Jerusalem with a stop at the Dead Sea in Israel. The day trip costs $100.00.
Yuriy Mamay is a 38 year old Ukrainian citizen. He is also a freelance writer for eTurboNews based in Kiev. Yurly has traveled all over the world including Europe, Thailand, Mexico and Central America having a lot of fun and no problems .He is truly a tourist who enjoys being able to  take advantage of the right to travel.
Yuriy was asked by eTurboNews to report about his experience vacationing in Egypt and going on a day tour to Israel. With all the tension in the Middle East Tourism remains an industry of peace and eTN was hoping to show a positive example of tourism cooperation in challenging times.
Yuriy booked his trip for March 1, 2018.
Here is his story…. it turned out to be an adventure or perhaps in better words a tour from hell.
Driving from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to the Israeli Border at the Israel seaside resort city of Eilat is about 3 1/2 hours. Yurly left with fellow 59 tourists at 8.00pm from Sharm el Sheikh  arriving at the Israel- Egypt border checkpoint Taba after midnight.
All passengers had to get off the Egyptian bus at the border. They had to pass Egyptian border control and their passports received exit stamps. The process was fast and efficient on the Egyptian side.
Passengers had to proceed walking between the Egyptian border post to the Israeli immigration office. A bus was waiting for them at the Israeli border facility.
Yuriy was one of the first arriving at the Israeli border checkpoint. He was asked to show his passport and to respond to some routine questions. Border guards wanted to know his reason for visiting Israel and how long he wanted to stay. Obviously everyone was on a day tour and the response was:
Reason: Sightseeing visiting Jerusalem and Dead Sea and staying for one day.
Yuriy didn’t need a visa for Israel with his Ukrainian passport.Yuriy didn’t speak good enough English for Israel Immigration and a translator was called to assist. The officer was nice but the Russian speaking translator had an attitude and became a challenge to deal with.
 
Here is the Q&A
Translator: How much cash are you carrying?
Yuriy: US $500
Translator: Please take off your shoes and show me your bag.
Yuriy did and was asked to unwrap his towel and swim trunks.
Translator: Why are you carrying so much cash ($500) Would we find more cash when searching your bag?
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Yuriy was quiet surprised and truthfully responded negative.
The translator did not take his “no” for an answer and went through every detail including his mobile phone.
Officers went through every photo on the mobile phone and demanded to look at his social media postings.
Yuriy phone was taken and he was unable to see what officers were doing. Yuriy is one of those people who doesn’t have much information on his social networks. He is always concious of personal data leaked and identity theft. Apparently this raised a red flag with Israel immigration.

The translator demanded to see Yuriy hand and said. “If you will look for illegal work you will have “working hands”. Yuriy did not have a trace of a “working hand.”

Yuriy carried a bottle of still water and took a few sips. The translator had a comment to make: “Oh you are drinking water because you are nervous, haha!”

The missing of extensive social media details most likely triggered the decision by Israel authorities to deny Yuriy entry to the Land of Creation for the day trip to Jerusalem.
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Yuriy was asked to leave the interrigation room and ordered to wait in another room to be deported and returned to Egypt.
Yuriy asked how long he had to wait before he could leave to go back to the Egyptian side of the border. The friendly translator officer said: “You have to wait as much as we need you to wait – you poor penniless pig. She continued to call Yuriy some other very offensive words and kept laughing.” The heavy set 50-60 year old officer kept making remarks about Yuriy and other “hoping to be tourists”, now waiting for deportation from the Jewish State.
The threat came now: “If you complain or appeal, we will make sure you will not be able to cross any international borders again – not only to Israel.”
Yuriy at anytime was pleasant and polite cooperating with officers.
Welcome to Israel! This was a special experience for a tourist ready to spend some money in the Jewish State.
Yuriy was not the only tourist denied entry. A total of about 30 fellow travelers were taking into custody and had to wait in a room all night for more than 9 hours. The room had less than 20 seats. Everyone felt relieved when they were finally allowed to walk back to Egypt, what they now call the “land of the free.”
Most tourists denied entry had Ukrainian passports. A group of 20 citizens from Belarus were able to continue the trip in Israel without problems.
The rest of Yuriy vacation in Egypt was great and filled with fun, sun, and sea and a lot of culture and  he met many very welcoming people very thankful to have money spending visitors like Yuriy as their guest.
Yuriy did receive a $70 refund for the $100.00 he paid for the trip to Israel.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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