Dear A Marks,
I will start with the fact that I recently made a trip to Israel. Not
only that nothing had happened and in fact I felt very safe (I had
lots of anxieties before the flight), but also had great time. This is
of course anecdotal and subjective, but my advices are based on
experience.
However, there are current warnings regarding Israel and the Occupied
Territories both in the State Department Website, and in equivalent
offices:
Australia
<http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Israel_Gaza_Strip_and_West_Bank>
US State Dept.
<http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_922.html>
FCO (UK)
<http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385504>
So, this is what the foreign offices say, and probably they have some
right to be concerned. However, as I said, I felt generally very safe
in Israel.
As far as your chances go, even in Israel, where there had been raging
terrorism in the past few years, there's a much higher chance of being
hit by a car (BTW, Israelis drive like crazies, don't drive there
unless you have to, or come from somewhere like Italy, where people
have the same driving "tradition"). Generally, Israel is safer
considering violent crime (one should always have their own judgment,
and of course remember that in Israel, like most of the Western world,
drugs are illegal).
"Contrary to the images projected in the media, Israel is one of the
safest tourist destinations in the world. Tourists have not been
deliberately targeted by terrorist actions in Israel. However there
are some common sense steps tourists should take to maximise personal
safety. If you have never visited Israel before it is advisable to
utilise organised tours to most effectively familiarise yourself with
the country. Be prudent about your use of urban public transport. If
you have any doubts about the safety of places you wish to visit, then
contact the police or the local tourist authorities. The crime rate in
Israel is one of the lowest in the world .Travelers should protect
valuables in Israel as in any other country."
(SOURCE: Visit: Israel, <http://www.aicc.org.au/tourism.htm>).
This is not only my opinion or impression from Israel:
How Safe is Israel?
<http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=16545>
How Safe is a Trip to Israel
<http://forum.hagalil.com/board-a/messages/279/16360.html?1082116491>
Barnabus Press - This Week in Israel
<http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:K4ShkXU9QLgJ:barnabuspress.com/this-week-in-israel.asp%3Fid%3D25+%22how+safe+*+*+*+israel%22&hl=en>
So, the chances are low to get hit in a terrorist attack. Yet, you can
minimise them even more by avoiding certain areas:
- ALL of the Occupied Territories (excluding, perhaps, the Golan
Heights) and especially Gaza Strip). Don't go there. This is the most
important rule, because the vast majority of those attacks were in the
Occupied Territories.
- Jerusalem tends to suffer more terror attacks than other cities in
Israel. I would recommend, when visiting the holy sites in Jerusalem,
to join a group (there are buses leaving from Tel Aviv, in an
"organised" group, both to Jeruaslem and to the Sea of
Gallilea/Nazareth). Regarding times, it might be important to say,
that during the Muslim Friday prayers, there's a lot of tension in
East Jerusalem.
- Less important than the previous two, is to avoid public
transportation (e.g., bus).
However, Haifa, Tel Aviv and especially Eilat, are very safe. In the
entrance to each cafe, mall or restaurant you'll have to open your
bags to security personel (and even get through a metal detector), but
you'll get used to that.
Have a nice trip. If you have any further questions, please contact me
before you rate the answer. |
