I have been told time and time again that if you get your passport stamped in Israel that you will most likely not be allowed entrance into any other country in the Middle East. I know that it’s possible to not have your passport stamped and instead just a separate card that is the visa will be checked and stamped. Can anyone provide first-hand experience on how this all works? Keep in mind that I plan to arrive at the airport in Tel Aviv and have to go through customs there and whatever their process is.

The reason I ask (and please, I’m not interested in sparking political debate here—I just want to travel!) is that after my time in Israel (Tel Aviv) and Palestine (Jericho City) I am on my way to Egypt. Thus, I’d hate to be denied entrance to Egypt and lose out on travel time and lots of money simply because my passport shows that I was in Israel.

Any help on how to deal with customs at Ben Gurion and at checkpoints throughout the country are much appreciated.