Israeli Gov't Issues Travel Warnings for 41 Countries

During the upcoming school holidays of Passover and the summer, many Israelis travel abroad. Europe is only a few hours away by plane, and the beaches of Cyprus and Greece are even closer.

Vacations abroad, even including the flight, are often cheaper than local getaways, because of the high price of Israeli hotels.

However, the Israeli government has issued travel warnings for 41 countries, including Europe and Asia.

"Recent terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists in Belgium, Canada, Australia, France and Denmark raise concerns over additional attacks against Western targets, including Israeli and Jewish targets, by veterans of the fighting in Syria and Iraq who are affiliated with Global Jihad (including Islamic State) and by local elements inspired by the terrorist organizations."

The travel warning, issued by the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau) noted that is illegal for Israelis to travel to "Syria, Iraq (including Iraqi Kurdistan), Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and Saudi Arabia."

The warning comes amid a spate of attacks on Western and Jewish targets including the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and the Jewish supermarket in Paris, the shooting in Denmark, and just this weekend, an attack on a synagogue in London.

Israeli terrorism experts say Israelis do not seem to be the primary target of these attacks.

"Until now there have been two main targets - governmental targets in Western countries and Jewish institutions," Reuven Ehrlich, a terrorism expert told The Media Line.

"Israelis have not been the target, but I cannot tell you what it will be in the future."

However, the warnings do not seem to be affecting travel plans. Israelis have one of the highest rates per capita of travel abroad, taking two million trips a year, although there are no statistics about how many of them are travelers who fly several times a year. Israeli travel professionals say they are telling their clients to maintain a lower profile.

"We are asking our passengers to be a little quieter, which is a good thing no matter what," Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours in Jerusalem told The Media Line. "Israelis tend to be loud and raucous and call attention to themselves. We have several groups going to Europe in the next few weeks and we have told them not to congregate in the lobby, not to speak in loud voices and if possible, not to speak in Hebrew."

At the same time, he said the travel warnings have "zero" influence on his clients travel plans. Many young Israelis spend months or even years traveling after their compulsory service in the army, visiting Asia, India and Latin America.

The Israeli travel warning also urges caution when visiting synagogues or Jewish sites around the world.

"The global terrorist campaign by Iran and Hizbullah continues to threaten Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, especially tourists and Jewish symbols (rabbis, community leaders, Chabad houses).

Most of the countries mentioned in the travel warning such as Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Burkina-Faso, are not popular hot spots for Israelis to visit. But one spot that is included in the list with "very high concrete threats" is the Sinai Peninsula. Israeli controlled Sinai from 1967 until 1982, when Israel withdrew as part of the peace treaty with Egypt.

Yet Israelis continued to visit Sinai in ensuing years, and some continue to do so, despite a series of attacks that have killed dozens of Egyptian police and soldiers there.

"I have been going to Sinai to the same place for 25 years and I'm going again in two weeks," Linda Epstein, who works part-time for an American foundation told The Media Line. "Israelis go everywhere in the world that is strange and exotic and even a little bit dangerous, but this magnificent place next door seems to hold some kind of barrier for them."

She said that like all Israelis she has lived through wars, rocket attacks and suicide bombings, and said the chances of anything happening are "exceptionally small."

"I've been to over 100 countries and there is no place I find as serene as Sinai."  VJ