The west bank and gaza or just west bank? Slightly different dynamics and gaza can be a bastard to get into.
Best thing to do, if you are going via Tel Aviv, is to get clued up on Israeli tourist destinations and say you are going there. They will ask why are you coming to Israel – let them know about the destinations. Do not mention you are going to west bank! play dumb. If you do, you may well end up on the next flight back home. When i went i paid €20 for a shitty hostel in tel aviv for first night to say i have booked a place, then i did not turn up and headed direct to west bank…
Getting into the west bank is EASY. Getting out can be more of a fucker. Plus when you leave Israel they will want to know EXACTLY what you have been doing.They may well search all your images if they see you have camera kit – they searched mine and charged my phone just to check that out also.
You could be open and straight up, but at risk of being black booked. Or, you could just let them know about all those nice tourist sites you went to in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but be warned the more you bullshit the more they will ask you. So, best say you spent a whole month chilling on the beach in tel aviv etc…. hope that helped = s everyone approaches the region differently so maybe someone else could have an easier response… Also, if they think you are a journalist you may well end up having to register your credential and the ministry of information etc…..
Or, do what a friend did, wear pink hot pants, act as gay as you can imagine then security will probably leave you alone. He walked straight through customs without so much as a question – i wish i had the courage to do that – I was in the question room for hours before they let me go….
The worst that will happen, you will be sent home, once in the territories the palestinians are very hospitable.
ahhhh the ‘fun and games’ of Palestine….