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I've been flying into Israel since I was a toddler. Never had a issue related to the IDF. Your friends must have done something more than they have told you. I know numerous people in the US that have Israeli parents, were born in the US and have had no problems entering the leaving Israel.
They left in the late 1950's thanks to a little known US immigration rule that one can come to the US if they are sponsored to do so and that the sponsor guarantees that they won't go onto any type of welfare system for five years.
One friend was a fellow student at Hebrew University and I assume that because she was staying longer than simply one does on a tourist visa, the issue of her having an Israeli citizen parent came up as well as IDF service (which she needed to get an exemption for).
Another friend had grown up in South Africa and her Israeli parents had decided to return to live in Israel. Being that she was of military age she was only allowed to visit them for a limited length of time (before she had to leave the country) so she wouldn't be drafted into the IDF.
If one is simply going to visit Israel like a tourist (for a relatively limited time) then they normally shouldn't have issues with the IDF.
My question for you what documents did your parents use to leave Israel. Did they use Israeli passports in the late 1950s? I have relatives who left not long after the Israeli War of Independence on "Laissez-Passer" documents (as there were no Israeli passports yet at that time & therefore considered to be stateless refugees) to USA with sponsor guarantees (like you mention) and therefore they were never considered to be Israeli citizens.
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My question for you what documents did your parents use to leave Israel. Did they use Israeli passports in the late 1950s? I have relatives who left not long after the Israeli War of Independence on "Laissez-Passer" documents (as there were no Israeli passports yet at that time & therefore considered to be stateless refugees) to USA with sponsor guarantees (like you mention) and therefore they were never considered to be Israeli citizens.
As my parents are long passed, whatever documents I have is sitting in a box somewhere in my storage room. But as all my siblings were born in Israel (1949 and later), they must've had Israeli passports. Afaik as they didn't return to Israel until they were in their early 20's for my Bar Mitzvah, they had no issue's entering and leaving Israel then. They never renounced their citizenships (this actually became a issue for my sister a few years ago, which I heard from my cousin in Israel, as her Israeli passport is long expired, couldn't be renewed in the US and the Israeli gov't told her she may have issues leaving Israel - So she cancelled her trip to Israel).
As I don't speak to my siblings, I can't ask them for anything (basically when my mother died, I paid 100% for the funeral, they paid nothing and nearly immediately wanted to know what was in the will for them).
I guess that what follows has already been said, but I'll say it again, so you know that one more native U. S. citizen has said it. You are a native American citizen. We have citizens of many colors and facial characteristics.
I, too, look Semitic, or at least Jewish, but the only person who ever asked about it was an Egyptian in Cairo. If people here ask where you are from, tell them your birthplace, or where you were raised. Or lie. Be imaginative! After all, it's YOUR answer, not theirs.
You're American. We know that you're Jewish, because you told us. The rest is just something you can play with, if you're in the mood for playing.
Most Americans won't understand that you are an Israeli citizen via your mother's Israeli birth place. You'll need at least a half hour to explain how that works.
BTW, I know of quite a few people who are in the same position and this has never been an issue for them. They just say that they are Jewish, end of story. This includes Bukharans who can also have dark complexions.
As my parents are long passed, whatever documents I have is sitting in a box somewhere in my storage room. But as all my siblings were born in Israel (1949 and later), they must've had Israeli passports. Afaik as they didn't return to Israel until they were in their early 20's for my Bar Mitzvah, they had no issue's entering and leaving Israel then. They never renounced their citizenships (this actually became a issue for my sister a few years ago, which I heard from my cousin in Israel, as her Israeli passport is long expired, couldn't be renewed in the US and the Israeli gov't told her she may have issues leaving Israel - So she cancelled her trip to Israel).
My relatives were born during the Palestinian Mandate (the youngest one was born in 1947). So therefore the ones that left in 1949 didn't ever have Israeli passports or Israeli citizenship. They too have traveled to Israel back and fore on their American passports without issue. The only time one of my uncles had a problem was entering Israel by land via the Sinai (just after the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty was signed) and the Israeli border agent was insisting that he show his non-existent Israeli passport to enter (but eventually he must be able to convince that he wasn't an Israeli citizen although he had born in Jerusalem in 1935).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coney
Most Americans won't understand that you are an Israeli citizen via your mother's Israeli birth place. You'll need at least a half hour to explain how that works.
Most Americans don't understand that in many countries around the world including Israel one gets citizenship via their parents rather than their birthplace.
Most Americans don't understand that in many countries around the world including Israel one gets citizenship via their parents rather than their birthplace.
Yes, I know. My friend in Scotland has 2 daughters who have dual citizenship even though they never lived in the US. My friend is American and married a Scot. The girls have 2 passports.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coney
Yes, I know. My friend in Scotland has 2 daughters who have dual citizenship even though they never lived in the US. My friend is American and married a Scot. The girls have 2 passports.
We had a friend from our Navy days who married a Scottish woman when he was stationed there and their daughter had duel citizenship, but they said she had to declare her preference at 18.
Does anyone here remember the Conehead Family? No matter how "different" you look, always tell 'em you're from France.
Hilarious movie!...
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