Taba Border Crossing: Entering Israel from Egypt

By Will Covert

I arrived at this border crossing about 4:30 PM this afternoon. After my luggage had passed through the x-ray machine I was asked if it was my luggage and if I was carrying any weapons. I responded that it was in fact my luggage and that, no, I am a Veteran For Peace and that I was not carrying any weapons of any kind. I was then asked to open my largest piece of luggage. I was somewhat confused and I couldn't imagine what the problem might be. I was very careful when packing in Cairo for the return trip to Israel not to include anything which might "raise an eyebrow" on the part of the so called "Israeli Security Forces" including anything which might associate me with the Gaza Freedom March. We had been told, or more to the point, we had heard rumors that people attempting to cross into Israel from Egypt at the Taba crossing had been detained and/or refused admittance into Israel. After my luggage had exited the x-ray machine the so called "Israeli Security Forces" immediately opened the compartment which contain all of the literature I had collected in Israel and Palestine before traveling to Egypt. Although the literature (books, pamphlets, brochures, magazines, CDs and DVDs) was predominately pro-Palestinian a portion of the literature was pro-Zionist. I am very much interested in hearing both side of this conflict.

Two additional "Israeli Security Force" officers then joined in perusing the literature and commenting to one another in Hebrew. Occasionally they would discuss a particular piece of literature and in an accusatory fashion ask where I had gotten it. "Is this yours?" "Where did you get it?" I didn't refuse to answer but I was vague and very general in my answers followed by "Do you see any bombs, guns or weapons of any kind in my literature or luggage?" "Does any of this literature pose a threat to the security of Israel?" "Why are you doing this?"

More "Israeli Security Force" officers were called and now there were now 6 or 8 of them rummaging through my luggage which was still packed at this point. As I stood by watching the proceedings two "Israeli Security" officers approached me and ask me to follow them into a small room a few feet away which did not have a door but did have a curtains. I asked "Why?" and they said "For a full body search." I said I refused to be separated from my luggage and where I go it must go. [This was, after all, the border crossing where a few weeks ago a young women had been separated from her computer and the the "Israeli Security" took it outside and shot it three time.] They then zipped up all of my luggage compartments and brought the two suit cases and back pack containing my computer into the room with me. "Empty your pockets." "Remove your shoes they must go through the x-ray machine." "Remove your belt."

By now I felt so humiliated by their Nazi tactics I submitted without further protest. I did, however, stare with a great deal of distain and contempt directly into the eyes of the six foot six or so man doing the body search. He was using both his hands and a metal detecting wand. When he told me to drop my pants I was so angry that I stared even deeper into his eyes and asked him if this type of harassment and humiliation would make his children feel safer or more secure tonight.

As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted having said them as they were meant to lash out and to hurt. That's not the man I am but just for a moment my anger got the best of me. I still have much work to do on the path to Peace and Nonviolence. [I do, however, regret that I happened to be wearing underwear that day!]

After telling me I could put my clothes back on I thought it was over and I would be on my way. How naive of me. They now took all of my luggage back out into the main room and began methodically removing every item, one at a time. They were meticulous in their attention to detail and examining every item, and I do mean every item down to opening the chap stick in my toiletry bag. They even rummaged through my dirty clothes. They took everything apart and ran everything individually or in small batches back through the x-ray machine again and a few items were put through a third time. It almost seemed as if the x-ray machine had, in my eyes, become this giant hungry monster gobbling up all of my possession on one end and defecating them out the other end.

By now every bag I had with me had been opened, inspected and emptied: two suit cases, a back pack, camera case, video camera case, computer bag and toiletry bag and everything I had brought on the trip was strewn over two 4 foot by 6 foot metal-topped tables including a mountain of clothing.

It took me almost two hours to sort out all of my belongings, fold my clothing and repack my luggage.

I've now been in the custody of these thugs who call themselves "Israeli Security Forces" for just over 5 hours and twenty minutes. My luggage has been repack. The full body search has been completed. The interrogations by the the "Israeli Security Force" manager and the the senior Israeli interrogation officer on duty have all been completed. Now I sit and I wait. Doors open and close. "Israeli Security Forces" officers enter and leave. I am tired, hunger and hung over from the adrenaline rush.

It's almost 10:00 PM now and I haven't eaten since lunch and I am tired and can feel my blood sugar level dropping. Every 10 or 15 minutes for the last hour and half the "Israeli Security Force" station manager approaches me. He apologizes for the delays and insists that it should be only a few more minutes. There is no sincerity in his voice. He offers me water. I refuse. He offers me the opportunity to buy snack food from from a little shop. I refuse. He brings a cup of hot water, a tea bag and sugar packets. It sits on the table until the water turns cold. Somehow I feel that accepting hospitality from these "Israeli Security Force" guards would make me complicit in and lend credibility to this great sham. And still I wait... and wait... and wait.

Shortly after 10:00 PM I am given my passport and told that I can leave. However, when I make my final stop at the counter where I am to have my passport stamped and receive my visa I am once asked to step out of line and to wait. Intermingled with Hebrew I here my name ring out over the loud speakers. After about 10 more minutes or so I once again hear my name broadcast over the loud speaker in broken English and being asked to step back up to the counter. She stamps my passport and I am finally free to enter Israel... but not free in Israel as there is no such thing in this day and age!

"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." Frederick Douglass