Israeli Trying to Connect Through Dubai

[baltimoron]

Hey guys, I am planning an awesome pre-college backpacking / round the world for the summer before I go to college. Just to skim over it (I may post the finite details of it later when I have everything set in stone.) It will will look something like Baltimore-London-Amsterdam-Cape Town-Johannesburg-Cairo-Eilat-Bangkok-Hong Kong-Baltimore in a matter of 12 weeks or so.

My real question, however, is about the Eilat (I'll be flying out of TLV) to Bangkok leg of the journey. Now, I have heard legends about the ever-so-ambiguous El Al TLV-BKK flight, but even after 2 international phonecalls to Israel to try to track it down, no luck. Now, my other options are to go back up to Europe and fly over from Heathrow, Zürich, or Charles Du Gaulle, or fly though Dubai in the UAE. Now, the only problem is that UAE does not let Israelis into their country. Whatever.... But I am thinking that I will never officially enter UAE, since I will have a connecting flight and will only stay in the international lounge. My question is: is this allowed? Can I pull it off, or do I really have to fly all the way west to fly east?

My only other option: I can connect in Amman, Jordan, but its a chunk of change I really don't want to pay. I was then thinking I could drive up there to Amman, but I don't know if that is allowed or not.

Can any of y'all help me out?

 

[mania]

Zack
Unfortunatelly in most of the cases even if you don't leave the airport you are still entering the country - so I don't think UAE will let you in. It's the same with the US - you don't have a visa you can't change flights on the US territory (my firend had this - was flying from Poland to Carribean with the change of flights in the US. And was not admitted on the US territory....
The basic thing is that once you have landed you may but don't have to stay in the lounge - you can go out...
As an Israeli citizen you should look for the connection from Cairo, so I would reverse the plan - Eilat/Cairo and then fly from Cairo. Otherwise you are in trouble in the whole region.
Mania

 

[baltimoron]

Well, Mania, you happen to be my hero(ine?)!

It turns out I save HUGE amounts of cash (I mean truely significant amounts.) if I just reverse the order. EgyptianAir flies direct from CAI to BKK, and for really cheap! Plus, I found an El Al flight that leaves from JNB to TLV direct. Great!

Thanks a lot. Really.