An American tourist was detained in Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday after he announced to Border Control that he had a bomb in his hand luggage, according to an N12 report.
The tourist reportedly landed earlier in the day from New York and entered Israel without issue. He claimed to have traveled to Israel for a diving trip and visited Jerusalem during the day.
N12 reported that he then returned to the airport in the evening to fly back to the US, and after passing Border Control and boarding the plane, he then got off the plane again and announced the bomb to a Border Control officer.
According to an investigation by the Population Authority, the tourist was removed from the plane by a stewardess after he told her he didn't want to be on the aircraft because someone "in blue clothes" planted the bomb in his bag to frame him.
The man was not actually carrying a bomb
A bomb was not found in his bag, however, N12 reported that he was carrying photocopied pages discussing the "burning of Jerusalem" from a book called Kings of the Desert.
The tourist will be flown back to the US in the next 24 hours.
"Not a routine night, but in situations like these, the officers don't hesitate," said the Israeli Airports Authority to N12. "They immediately involve the security forces."
This isn't the first time American tourists caused drama in Ben-Gurion Airport over explosive devices. Last year, an American family set off a bomb scare when they presented an unexploded bomb shell they had found on their visit to the Golan Heights and asked if they could take it with them on the plane.
The family was later allowed to board their flight without the bomb.