UK lists Jerusalem separately from Israel on COVID-19 travel advisory

Jerusalem is listed as a separate entity from Israel in the UK’s updated list of countries to which citizens may travel without a quarantine requirement upon return.

Conservative Friends of Israel expressed outrage at the listing.

“The announcement of a travel corridor with Israel is excellent news,” the CFI said. “However, the [Foreign Office’s] decision to define Jerusalem as a territory separate from Israel is offensive and hostile.”

The group pointed out that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, and “to describe Jerusalem as anything other than an integral part of Israel is a fiction divorced from reality and the travel advaice must be immediately corrected.”

The UK, along with most of the world, with the noted exceptions of the US and Russia, among others, does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Starting on Saturday morning, travelers arriving in England from Israel will not have to enter quarantine, the UK’s Department of Travel announced on Thursday.

Israel is one of many countries added to the UK’s safe travel corridor list. The West Bank is not included on the list.

Travelers from England to Israel still have to self-quarantine for 12 days.

Israel has shown a reduced rate of coronavirus cases following its second lockdown in September and October. Days before the country locked down, infections were rising beyond 4,000 per day and hospitals began raising red flag. In November, infections have been below 1,000.

There were 758 new coronavirus cases in Israel on Thursday, the Health Ministry announced Friday morning.

The Health Ministry also announced they conducted 54,955 tests – around 1.4% of tests returned a positive result. Some 304 of current patients are in serious condition, with 134 intubated. The death toll is 2,742.