The same day that Madonna was celebrating Rosh Hashanah as a welcome guest in Israel, I was denied entry. My sister and I were on our way to the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of a humanitarian organization and to visit our relatives in Gaza. Israel has a policy of waiving the need to obtain a visa for American citizens...unless, it turns out, you happen to be of Palestinian descent. Yet, American Jews who have never been to Israel, don't have friends or relatives there are automatically granted citizenship in Israel once they step off of the plane in Tel Aviv. This is known as "aaliya", the Jewish version of the "right of return." I'm not sure if Madonna meets the criteria to qualify for instant citizenship, but at least she can travel freely.

I don't have plans to relocate to Gaza, I just wanted to visit for two weeks. We were born and raised in the US, our mother from Missouri, our father from Palestine. Other Americans of Palestinian descent have been similarly denied at the airport in Tel Aviv so I knew it might be better to come via Jordan instead and avoid being forced to get on a plane the same day, back to my point of origin.

We sat at the customs area for over 6 hours with others entering Israel and the Territories. We watched Palestinian families who are residents there come and go, and tourists from other countries pass freely. Patiently we waited, without a single interaction with an Israeli official..no questions about our trip, what we do, etc. until an Israeli police officer came out of the office, barking at us in Arabic. We asked to him to "Speak English, please" when he yelled, in front of all of the others waiting in the terminal, "Go back to Jordan!" That was it. When we asked why, we were told, "We don't have to tell you why, we don't have to talk to you to find out the information we need. Go to the Israeli Embassy in Jordan and ask them about it!"

Twelve hours after we had left our hotel, we were back in Amman. We called the Israeli Embassy only to be told that the immigration police are not under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry, so, sorry, "there's nothing we can do." The US Embassy told us that Israel is no different than the US, admitting or denying whomever they choose and that the US "has no legal jurisdiction to help you obtain entry into a foreign country." They advised me to consult an attorney.

The US and Israel should stop pretending that Israel is open to all Americans. The truth is it is only open to some of us and if you are of a certain ethnicity, the welcome mat is pulled from under your feet. This policy is utterly racist as it punishes us for something over which we have no control: the background of our parents. To date, no acts of violence inside Israel have been committed by Palestinian Americans. Refusing the entry of individuals who are not security threats to Israel won't enhance Israeli security but will keep Israel from living up to its claims of being a free, open, and democratic society.

We headed home a week early after great personal expense of time and money. We'll see what we can find out at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and I'll see what our own government is willing to do to challenge this racist, unjust policy. Since Israel is a country that claims to follow the rule of law, we'll pursue the matter in the Israeli courts to overturn our denial. I'll apply for a visa in advance next time, but who knows if they'll approve it.

In the meantime, I'll gather together the gifts that I had intended for my cousins' children who live in the giant prison that is the Gaza Strip. I'll give them to a Jewish friend and ask her to take them on my behalf the next time she is welcomed as an American citizen traveling to Israel. Or maybe I'll ask Madonna.