The Old Guy leaves for Israel on Monday.I know a few people there casually and that times are somewhat hard right now.

I thought I might pack a second suitcase with items which are maybe expensive or hard to get in Israel for those people.

Any suggestions?

Lots of bibles and "Jews for Jesus" tracts.

Stay safe and have a great trip! Is it legal to bring your AR over there?

A little FYI: American citizens can join the IDF

OG,

Have fun! Im not going til next spring.

Enjoy!

Out of curiosity, where is this noted? I was under the impression it was illegal as an American citizen to join a foreign army...

No, Americans can join foreign armies. It's possible to do so without relinquishing American citizenship.

I think what M4 is thinking about is Volunteers For Israel, where you pay airfare plus $1000 a month to wash dishes and perform other menial duties on IDF bases.  You get to wear OD and live on military bases, but that's about it.

It's a way to let American Jews feel like they're helping Israel. [url]http://www.vfi-usa.org/[/url]

I think this is big no-no. They have strict gun laws for civilians over there.

Whats that? Strict as in it is against the law to NOT carry a gun if you are an Israeli living anywhere near the West Bank? A tleast that is the way I understand it. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have heard that in many parts you are required to carry in Israel. Now, I understand that this doesn't mean an American can bring an AR over.

Dayumn! There _IS_ a sucker born every minute.

My elderly mother went to Israel two years ago.  She had a great time.  I just think its funny that she got hassled more in O'Hare airport recently then she did going back and forth across the Israeli/Jordanian border.  Maybe those bitter, cynical Israelis and Jordanians are smart enough to figure out [b]LITTLE OLD LADIES[/b] arent good terrorist candidates.

I know!  I read about this program when I was 18 years old in 1992.  Sounded great, sent for the brochure and application.  Lost all interest when they said I had to pay to work.

But the intent of the program is to make well-off Jews in the US feel like they are in solidarity with Israel. The IDF doesnt really need their help.

Yes, you have to pay your own way. No, you don't have to pay them $1000 a month. I don't know where the hell that idea came from, unless you plan on spending that much on the toys and trinkets you buy on your off time.

You live on base, you eat in the standard mess, and you get 1-2 days off a week to travel around. While the web site specifically talks about hospital work, most of those I know who've gone ended up at an IDF base doing maintainance and repair type stuff.

No, you CANNOT bring a firearm into the country. Only Israeli citizens are allowed to carry, and the police have to approve all private firarms transfers. Yes, folks on the West Bank are often armed, but you won't see many (if any) armed civilians on the streets of Tel Aviv, Haifa or Jerusalem.  The only armed civilians I know of in those areas are security officers.  Think of Israel's firearms laws as being more like New York or Massachusetts, than Georgia or Texas.

Re Americans serving in the IDF, only if they have dual US/Israeli citizenship.  That's something fairly new in US law (policy?). Back when I was there for an extended period in 1956, you could get threatened with US citizenship revocation if you even carried a rifle on guard duty at a kibbutz-----which is why I never discussed my experiences there with anyone, even my family, until just a few years ago.  Don't know when the dual citizenship thing went into effect here. Israel (and many other countries around the world) has always had it.

Take lots of photos.

If you want you can go to the west wall with an AR-15.com sign and hold it up for the wall cam.
Then I'll post it on the site.[:D]