The American embassy in Tel-Aviv

They've finally gone completely insane:

http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/acs/yourvisit.aspx

Your Visit to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv

One of the most difficult aspects of visiting the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to obtain American citizen or visa services has been standing in line outside in the heat or rain, before passing through security screening. In order to minimize the discomfort of our visitors, the Embassy has instituted new procedures that have greatly reduced the amount of time people must wait outside. Previously, visitors waited as much as two or three hours before entering the Embassy. Currently, the wait is usually no longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. The key to this success is that we now prohibit visitors from carrying ANYTHING other than paperwork, a credit card, and cash into the building. Not having metal objects, wallets, purses, bags, containers, luggage, backpacks, cell phones, watches, rings, coins, etc. means that visitors can move directly from outside through the security screening procedure almost without pause.
In order to make this new procedure work, visitors must either leave all of these objects at home or in their car, or find a place to store them near the Embassy. There is now a private commercial concern just north of the Embassy that will store these objects for a modest fee.
This new procedure is our way of responding to repeated and understandable complaints about extended waiting times outside the Embassy, especially during periods of hot or rainy weather. Thank you for your cooperation.


But the lines are longer inside, after the security checks, than outside! How about staffing more than 3 consular services windows when you schedule appointments for 300 people every day?
They better let me bring a book for the horrible nightmare which is the 2-hour line inside. I don't know who to be pissed at - Americans or Israelis - but I have a feeling it's the latter, since I've been to American embassies elsewhere and the Israeli version is by far the worst.

On a bright note, this is probably my last time of having to go through this process. Phew.