Israel raises threat level against travel to 80 countries due to Gaza war

The threat level has been raised in 80 countries for Israelis as a result of the Gaza war, according to a new list published by the National Security Council.

There are increased efforts by Iran and its proxies, such as Hamas, as well as by the elements of global jihad, to attack Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, the National Security Council said.

“This coincides with a continuous and significant increase in incitement, attempted attacks, and widespread manifestations of antisemitism in many countries,” it stated.

“We can’t say don’t go, what we can say is that Israelis should weigh where they go,” an NSC official said.

There is an unprecedented level of potential violence either due to terror attempts or rising antisemitism and those who travel must take that into account, the official stated.

Major Western countries moved up a level of concern

Many Western countries were moved from the council’s Level 1 category, which is “basic precautionary measures” to Level 2, which is “increased precautionary measures.”

The United Kingdom, Germany, and France were all on that list, as were Brazil, Argentina Australia, and Russia.

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In other instances, such as with South Africa, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, the warning was raised to Level 3, which means that Israelis should only consider those locations for essential travel.

The NSC recommended postponing travel to countries with high warning levels such as those in the Middle East or the North Caucasus, countries surrounding Iran, and several Muslim countries in Asia.

Israelis should “stay away from demonstrations and protests,” it said.

Travelers should also check current events in their destination spot to see if there is anti-Israeli or anti-Jewish activity, even for countries deemed largely safe.

Once out of the country, travelers should “avoid exhibiting Israeli and Jewish symbols, and large gatherings of Israeli and Jewish officials.”

Those who travel should also keep the contact information of the embassy or consulate as well as emergency services with them, the NSC said.

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