Did we have this already here?
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/Wikimania-hits-Haifa-14-JUL-2011....
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a big article on Wikimania on their website. Amazing.
Maybe something worried participants can print out and take with them. Guess the border controls should recognize their government's website...
/Manuel
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy. They asked if I had a document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF. Two officers asked me respectively so that once I was afraid I couldn't board on.
The more documents you bring, the easier getting them to let you go through, I suppose.
On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 5:43 AM, Manuel Schneider manuel.schneider@wikimedia.ch wrote:
Did we have this already here?
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/Wikimania-hits-Haifa-14-JUL-2011....
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a big article on Wikimania on their website. Amazing.
Maybe something worried participants can print out and take with them. Guess the border controls should recognize their government's website...
/Manuel
Regards Manuel Schneider
Wikimedia CH - Verein zur Förderung Freien Wissens Wikimedia CH - Association for the advancement of free knowledge www.wikimedia.ch
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll check my mail)
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which document would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll check my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with a few other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident this week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as I've heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it, so if that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from
WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues of mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't make any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air travel with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back in the 1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done so you can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline exactly because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the passengers to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old grannies to remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long before the 9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and openly, and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with a few other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident this week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as I've heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it, so if that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all
the
copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from
WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Thanks Harel :)
Background about the Chelsea incident: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
On 30 July 2011 02:51, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues of mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't make any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air travel with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back in the 1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done so you can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline exactly because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the passengers to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old grannies to remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long before the 9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and openly, and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with a few other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident this week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as I've heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it, so if that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote: > Hi from Tel Aviv suburb. > > I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the > organizing team may help. > > At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all
the
> copy of registration team and also had no copy.
> document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from
WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
A bit more to add about *passport stamping* (mainly for those holding European / north American passports): an English girl (a close friend of mine in Cambridge) who was in Israel last year told me that although the Israeli border control advertises the facility to have a separate piece of paper rather than your passport stamped, in practice they [almost?] always refuse that and insist to stamp onto your passport, especially if you're a white person from a Western country [apparently especially if you're a young woman as well]. No worries though, I'm sure it's easy enough for someone from a Western country to apply for a new passport prematurely!
She's in Israel again this summer, and other than sternly denying the possibility to not have my passport stamped, is optimistic: "Basically I don't actually think, having thought about it, that there's anything to say! Just be prepared for a long wait, and for intensive searches (they took everything out of my bag, both ways), and obviously be very careful about carrying anything metal/liquid in your hand luggage. Make sure you know what you'd say to 'why are you going to Israel?'."
Deryck
On 30 July 2011 02:54, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks Harel :)
Background about the Chelsea incident: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
On 30 July 2011 02:51, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues of mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't make any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air travel with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back in the 1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done so you can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline exactly because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the passengers to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old grannies to remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long before the 9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and openly, and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with a few other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident this week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as I've heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it, so if that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.comwrote:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which
document
would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl
wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote: > > Hi from Tel Aviv suburb. > > > > I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the > > organizing team may help. > > > > At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all
the
> > copy of registration team and also had no copy. > > > document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from
WMF.
> > Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll
check
> my mail) > > -- > [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] > gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 > 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72 > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
-- Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
A bit more to add about passport stamping (mainly for those holding European / north American passports): an English girl (a close friend of mine in Cambridge) who was in Israel last year told me that although the Israeli border control advertises the facility to have a separate piece of paper rather than your passport stamped, in practice they [almost?] always refuse that and insist to stamp onto your passport, especially if you're a white person from a Western country [apparently especially if you're a young woman as well]. No worries though, I'm sure it's easy enough for someone from a Western country to apply for a new passport prematurely!
She's in Israel again this summer, and other than sternly denying the possibility to not have my passport stamped, is optimistic: "Basically I don't actually think, having thought about it, that there's anything to say! Just be prepared for a long wait, and for intensive searches (they took everything out of my bag, both ways), and obviously be very careful about carrying anything metal/liquid in your hand luggage. Make sure you know what you'd say to 'why are you going to Israel?'."
Anything I should know specifically as a U.S. citizen? (For what it's worth, it doesn't bother me if they stamp my passport because my passport expires in June 2012 anyway.)
Anything that I should be wary about bringing into Israel that I'd normally take for granted as fine in the U.S.?
Deryck
On 30 July 2011 02:54, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks Harel :)
Background about the Chelsea incident: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
On 30 July 2011 02:51, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues of mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't make any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air travel with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back in the 1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done so you can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline exactly because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the passengers to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old grannies to remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long before the 9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and openly, and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with a few other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident this week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as I've heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it, so if that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example one which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one which is rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated mail you got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary. It's just something you can show during the security questioning, which normally occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare more and more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western countries I really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without any problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
...and how many copies of each!
On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote: > Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which > document > would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) > Thank you, > Laura > > On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl > wrote: > >> On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote: >> > Hi from Tel Aviv suburb. >> > >> > I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the >> > organizing team may help. >> > >> > At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all >> > the >> > copy of registration team and also had no copy. >> >> > document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from >> > WMF. >> >> Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? >> (I'll check >> my mail) >> >> -- >> [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] >> gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 >> 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72 >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>
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No, James. If anything, then you might find that in TLV (on your way back) they don't even bother with some of the things that they do check for in the states, such as that rule about liquids in 100ml containers or asking you to remove your shoes.
If you're flying El Al, you will be politely but thoroughly interviewed before boarding the plane, and your luggage might be searched more thoroughly than you're used to. Nothing more than that.
If you're flying with another airline into Israel, even that won't be the case.
When flying back, you can expect to again undergo this interview (whether you packed alone, whether someone gave you anything to bring, where you've been, that sort of thing) and again they might scan and/or search your luggage.
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 22:19, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
A bit more to add about passport stamping (mainly for those holding
European
/ north American passports): an English girl (a close friend of mine in Cambridge) who was in Israel last year told me that although the Israeli border control advertises the facility to have a separate piece of paper rather than your passport stamped, in practice they [almost?] always
refuse
that and insist to stamp onto your passport, especially if you're a white person from a Western country [apparently especially if you're a young
woman
as well]. No worries though, I'm sure it's easy enough for someone from a Western country to apply for a new passport prematurely!
She's in Israel again this summer, and other than sternly denying the possibility to not have my passport stamped, is optimistic: "Basically I don't actually think, having thought about it, that there's anything to
say!
Just be prepared for a long wait, and for intensive searches (they took everything out of my bag, both ways), and obviously be very careful about carrying anything metal/liquid in your hand luggage. Make sure you know
what
you'd say to 'why are you going to Israel?'."
Anything I should know specifically as a U.S. citizen? (For what it's worth, it doesn't bother me if they stamp my passport because my passport expires in June 2012 anyway.)
Anything that I should be wary about bringing into Israel that I'd normally take for granted as fine in the U.S.?
Deryck
On 30 July 2011 02:54, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks Harel :)
Background about the Chelsea incident:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
On 30 July 2011 02:51, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues of mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't
make
any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air travel with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back in
the
1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done so
you
can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline
exactly
because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the
passengers
to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old
grannies to
remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long
before the
9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and
openly,
and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com
wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with
a few
other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some questioning by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident
this
week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as
I've
heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any difference: the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on it,
so if
that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL
will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example
one
which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one
which is
rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated
mail you
got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary.
It's just
something you can show during the security questioning, which
normally
occurs only on El Al flights.
We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare
more and
more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western
countries I
really think they're not necessary.
These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one attendee from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing serious), while the South Americans went through everything without
any
problem at all.
Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS
queues).
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote: > > ...and how many copies of each! > > On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org
wrote:
> > Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which > > document > > would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) > > Thank you, > > Laura > > > > On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning <
kim@bruning.xs4all.nl>
> > wrote: > > > >> On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote: > >> > Hi from Tel Aviv suburb. > >> > > >> > I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the > >> > organizing team may help. > >> > > >> > At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left
all
> >> > the > >> > copy of registration team and also had no copy. > >> > >> > document on my registration to the confenrence or a document
from
> >> > WMF. > >> > >> Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? > >> (I'll check > >> my mail) > >> > >> -- > >> [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] > >> gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 > >> 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72 > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Wikimania-l mailing list > >> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org > >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l > >> > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >
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As Harel said, we arrived Tel Aviv today from Chile and Argentina. I was a bit worried because everybody told me stories about the security... and to be honest, it isn't as terrible as you may hear. We only had a basic questioning in Sao Paulo airport about our luggage and then in Ben Gurion they asked us how long are we staying and for what reason. Nothing else, less than two minutes... we didn't even show the copies of the mails.
Sure, it can be different for other nationalities... but if you're coming to Wikimania, there shouldn't be anything to hide nor worry about.
2011/7/29 Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com
No, James. If anything, then you might find that in TLV (on your way back) they don't even bother with some of the things that they do check for in the states, such as that rule about liquids in 100ml containers or asking you to remove your shoes.
If you're flying El Al, you will be politely but thoroughly interviewed before boarding the plane, and your luggage might be searched more thoroughly than you're used to. Nothing more than that.
If you're flying with another airline into Israel, even that won't be the case.
When flying back, you can expect to again undergo this interview (whether you packed alone, whether someone gave you anything to bring, where you've been, that sort of thing) and again they might scan and/or search your luggage.
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 22:19, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
A bit more to add about passport stamping (mainly for those holding
European
/ north American passports): an English girl (a close friend of mine in Cambridge) who was in Israel last year told me that although the Israeli border control advertises the facility to have a separate piece of paper rather than your passport stamped, in practice they [almost?] always
refuse
that and insist to stamp onto your passport, especially if you're a
white
person from a Western country [apparently especially if you're a young
woman
as well]. No worries though, I'm sure it's easy enough for someone from
a
Western country to apply for a new passport prematurely!
She's in Israel again this summer, and other than sternly denying the possibility to not have my passport stamped, is optimistic: "Basically I don't actually think, having thought about it, that there's anything to
say!
Just be prepared for a long wait, and for intensive searches (they took everything out of my bag, both ways), and obviously be very careful
about
carrying anything metal/liquid in your hand luggage. Make sure you know
what
you'd say to 'why are you going to Israel?'."
Anything I should know specifically as a U.S. citizen? (For what it's worth, it doesn't bother me if they stamp my passport because my passport expires in June 2012 anyway.)
Anything that I should be wary about bringing into Israel that I'd normally take for granted as fine in the U.S.?
Deryck
On 30 July 2011 02:54, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks Harel :)
Background about the Chelsea incident:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
On 30 July 2011 02:51, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote:
Deryck, you should be fine. There are many Israelis (some colleagues
of
mine, for example) who're flying to Malaysia on business with foreign passports. I don't even know what the Chelsea incident is, it didn't
make
any headlines over here.
The security questioning is meant to guarantee the safety of air
travel
with El Al, which as you may know has been the target of terror back
in the
1970s (and since, to a decreased degree), in other words - it's done
so you
can fly safely. El Al is considered the world's most secure airline
exactly
because of its unique methods which are based on interviewing the
passengers
to detect suspicious passengers, instead of forcing 85 year old
grannies to
remove their shoes (TSA method...), which have been in place long
before the
9/11 attacks, for example.
Because you clearly have no terrorist intentions, there's nothing to worry about. Just be very patient, answer the questions frankly and
openly,
and they'll let you in. They won't fly out without you :)
Harel Cain Wikimania 2011 local team
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 21:43, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com
wrote:
I'm flying from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv on an El Al flight, holding a British passport with a Malaysian stamp from this January (along with
a few
other stamps from USA, Taiwan and Japan from previous years).
I never thought Malaysia would be an issue other than some
questioning
by the El Al and Israeli border control, until the Chelsea incident
this
week made Israel-Malaysia relations somewhat tenser than usual, as
I've
heard.
I doubt that in my case the "formal" letter would make any
difference:
the automated email has our name and personal itinerary printed on
it, so if
that doesn't get me through, I doubt any other paperwork from WMIL
will...
On 30 July 2011 02:29, Harel Cain harel.cain@gmail.com wrote: > > Unless you come from a potentially problematic country (for example
one
> which doesn't have diplomatic relations with Israel, or just one
which is
> rather exotic for incoming tourism), the printout of the automated
mail you
> got from us should be fine, and even that shouldn't be necessary.
It's just
> something you can show during the security questioning, which
normally
> occurs only on El Al flights. > > We prepared personalized "formal" letters of invitation upon request > for quite a few people. However I'm rather disinclined to prepare
more and
> more of them. If you are from the USA or the EU or other Western
countries I
> really think they're not necessary. > > These things are really a matter of chance - I heard the one
attendee
> from Czech Republic had a few problems (everything is fine, nothing > serious), while the South Americans went through everything without
any
> problem at all. > > Please seriously consider if you really need them before asking for > such personalized letters (requests please send to one of the OTRS
queues).
> > > Harel Cain > Wikimania 2011 local team > > > > On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 20:08, Deryck Chan deryckchan@gmail.com > wrote: >> >> ...and how many copies of each! >> >> On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org
wrote:
>> > Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know
which
>> > document >> > would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) >> > Thank you, >> > Laura >> > >> > On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning <
kim@bruning.xs4all.nl>
>> > wrote: >> > >> >> On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote: >> >> > Hi from Tel Aviv suburb. >> >> > >> >> > I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from
the
>> >> > organizing team may help. >> >> > >> >> > At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left
all
>> >> > the >> >> > copy of registration team and also had no copy. >> >> >> >> > document on my registration to the confenrence or a document
from
>> >> > WMF. >> >> >> >> Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? >> >> (I'll check >> >> my mail) >> >> >> >> -- >> >> [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] >> >> gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 >> >> 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72 >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> >> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >> > > > > -- > Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur. > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >
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On 07/29/11 11:54 AM, Deryck Chan wrote:
Background about the Chelsea incident: http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
Sounds like nothing more than the typical trash talk that one would expect in professional sports.
Ray
It's concerted spectator abuse targeted against one particular player, which is "typical trash talk one would expect in professional sports", except that it's in Malaysia, the player is Jewish, and Malaysia happens to dislike Israel.
Deryck
On 30 July 2011 08:01, Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net wrote:
On 07/29/11 11:54 AM, Deryck Chan wrote:
Background about the Chelsea incident:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/07/28/football.chelsea.malaysia.benay...
Sounds like nothing more than the typical trash talk that one would expect in professional sports.
Ray
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As I see it, anyone may print any kind of letter for himself. From that point of view it is better to know the registration number and the Internet address, where a potentially interested state employee may query your name in the Wikimania database.
And, as other colleagues mentioned, it is nice to have one more document with a photo — I will take my internal Russian passport for that case. And some phone numbers of course.
Viatcheslav /User:Amikeco
29.07.2011, 21:08, "Deryck Chan" deryckchan@gmail.com:
...and how many copies of each! On Jul 30, 2011 1:07 AM, "Laura James" ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which document would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll check my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
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Hi,
General advice: Don't be afraid. But bringing your hat/cap would be nice (I left it at home too, though). TLV itself provides you a wifi connection for free but power is only available at departure floor, the top floor.
Which document would you carry on? Good questions. What they asked me to show were as follows: * My domestic ID cards, e.g. driver license. I show you my healthcare ID card and Credit Card. * A document of your Wikimania 2011 attendance: the automated letter of registration may work, but I'm not sure if it works alone. * A document of the evidence you are Wiki[m/p]edian. (!) // If you are WMF- or a WM chapter-employed, and if there is something to evidence your employment status, it would be helpful. It's not my case, so I gave him a short lecture how Wikipedia works: all editors are volunteers, that means all of us do it for free, etc etc. - and your e-ticket printed out. Really.
The Israeli passport control was more friendly, the officer I met asked me for no document, he didn't even ask how long I'll stay. The most relaxed part of the entire flight from hindsight :D
Looking forward seeing you all soon,
On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 2:06 AM, Laura James ljames@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi, thanks for the great advice - yes, please do let us know which document would be the most helpful to print. And any other tips! :-) Thank you, Laura
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 8:17 AM, Kim Bruning kim@bruning.xs4all.nl wrote:
On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 07:49:31PM +0900, KIZU Naoko wrote:
Hi from Tel Aviv suburb.
I strongly recommend to follow Manuel. Also the letter from the organizing team may help.
At security check in AMS I met difficulty , since then I left all the copy of registration team and also had no copy.
document on my registration to the confenrence or a document from WMF.
Hmm, good point, what document would be handiest to print out? (I'll check my mail)
-- [Non-pgp mail clients may show pgp-signature as attachment] gpg (www.gnupg.org) Fingerprint for key FEF9DD72 5ED6 E215 73EE AD84 E03A 01C5 94AC 7B0E FEF9 DD72
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