Six of us are planning on visiting Israel in late Aug-Sept. We live in the states and 2 in our group despite living in the US for the past 35 years were born in Israel and have Israeli passports. We are a mix of religions and are hoping to visit Bethlehem while staying in Jerusalem. Someone told me that those holding Israeli passports aren't allowed in to Bethlehem. Does anyone know if that is true?
Thanks
Rob
Yes, it's true - for the most part Israeli citizens are not permitted to enter area A, areas that are under control of the Palestinian Authority - that includes Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah and more.
Furthermore, if they hold American passports, but were born in Israel, they may not be allowed to cross over either. This is for security reasons and due to the lack of insurance coverage.
Chana
Israel
Edited: 8 years agoThe greater issue is not getting into Bethlehem - you can simply show your US passport and there is not much checking done - but when you want to return to Jerusalem you need to show your visa and prove you are a tourist or whatever other status that allows you to enter Jerusalem - anyone traveling with an Israeli passport will not have a tourist visa and that is when you will run into problems. I can understand that this may not make sense to you and your party and that you want to experience your entire trip together but this is the situation and it is best to split up for this part of your trip.
Be aware also, that they really do check for Visas before allowing you back into Israel proper. A few months ago there was a young man who misplaced his Blue Visa. He had some difficulty being allowed back into the country.
Thank you all for the information. We will plan accordingly. Those with Israeli passports will stay behind. Plenty to do in Jerusalem.
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