My father, Sami Bahour, landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport Fri at 9:35 am. He exited the
airport on his way to El-Bireh at 12:15pm, but not after being told he would be denied entry.
When asked why he was coming (to his hometown and birthplace), my father explained that
he had just won a one year battle with bladder cancer and had promised his two
granddaughters that he would come an visit. This was the truth.
Upon interrogation with Israeli police and immigration authorities, my father was told the
reason he was being denied entry is that I (his son) was in Israel illegally. Moreover, he was
told that I have no relation with my wife and kids and am only using them to stay in Palestine.
So much for individual responsibility. Collective punishment is the norm here!
My father calmly explained that they were wrong. They countered with pulling up the total
number of times I have renewed my visa over the past decade. My dad told them that I was
given a 1 month extension from the "Civil" Administration via my wife's Palestinian I.D. status
and was legal. After an hour or so of checking and calling around, they found that I was here
legally. They informed my dad that I had till Oct 1st and he would be allowed in. My dad
almost wanted to give them a piece of his mind regarding my relation to my two daughters
and wife, but he passed.
He was given a 3 mo visitor's visa. On the way out of the airport, my dad said that two other
Palestinian families were still being interrogated and he felt they would be denied entry.
Just another layer in this rotten web.
Rgds,
Sam
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