Israel nabs Jordanian dressed as wife in failed border crossing

Palestinian-Jordanian man dressed up as a woman, used wife’s passport in attempt to slip through Israeli border crossing undetected.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Israeli authorities at the Allenby Bridge crossing nabbed a Palestinian-Jordanian man on Friday attempting to slip past a border check while dressed in women’s clothes.

The man, whose name was not made public, was wearing traditional Islamic clothing for women, including a hijab, long dress, and overcoat. He also wore a face mask, which helped obscure his gender identity.

Despite the disguise, a source told Ynet that the man’s “masculine body movements” sparked suspicion.

“During the security check, concern arose that this was not a lady, this was a gentleman,” the Israel Airports Authority, which manages the Allenby Bridge crossing, said in a statement.

The IAA added that the man was found to be in possession of his wife’s passport.

According to Hebrew-language reports, the man intended to visit Palestinian Authority cities and did not plan to enter municipalities or areas under Israeli control.

The man reportedly told investigators that reason for his disguise was not because he planning a terror attack — rather, he did not want his trip via the Israeli crossing to be recorded.

His desire to avoid a paper trial regarding his trip could be due to tax or other business reasons or because of concerns about future travel in the Arab world.

After questioning by Israeli security investigators, he was returned to Jordan.

In November 2021, the wife of Fadi Abu Shkhaydam, a Hamas-affiliated terrorist who carried out a deadly shooting attack in the Old City of Jerusalem, was detained at the crossing. An east Jerusalem resident, the woman had traveled to visit her mother in Jordan just days before her husband’s terror attack, but was later cleared of wrongdoing by Israeli authorities.

The Allenby Bridge is located about five kilometers east of the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Jericho. It serves as the primary crossing point for Palestinians and Jordanian nationals to enter and exit both Israel and PA-controlled areas from Jordan.

Israeli citizens are prohibited from using the Allenby Bridge when entering or exiting the country.