The National Security Council and Foreign Ministry have escalated the travel advisory for Egypt and Jordan to Level 4, the most severe warning, and urged all Israelis to return promptly.
“Due to the ongoing conflict, in recent days, there has been a significant increase in protests against Israel in various countries worldwide, emphasizing Arab countries in the Middle East,” a joint message released Saturday read. “This is accompanied by hostility and violence against Israeli symbols and Jews. Concurrently, there has been a rise in the rhetoric of global jihadist entities that call for harm to Israelis and Jews worldwide.”
Furthermore, the nation elevated the travel advisory for Morocco to Level 3 and strongly recommended that Israelis avoid non-essential travel to the region.
Foreign Ministry asks Israelis to avoid all Muslim countries
The communication stressed the importance of Israelis adhering to travel advisories, including those previously implemented.
Israelis are asked to avoid visiting Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Furthermore, they are advised to exercise caution when considering travel to Muslim nations under travel warnings – such as Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, as well as Muslim countries without specific travel advisories, such as the Maldives.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has increased hate crimes targeting both Jewish and Muslim communities. In a recent press briefing, the FBI acknowledged a rise in threats against these communities, but specific numbers were not released.
“Here in the US, we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our soil,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
He said the attacks could target Jewish and Muslim institutions and individuals.