‘Is It Safe Anywhere?’: Israelis Vacation Abroad Despite Rising Security Threats
Despite government warnings of heightened global threats against Israelis, many travelers are heading abroad for Passover, weighing personal safety against a desire for normalcy after months of war
The sun was shining, the beach was calling—and despite the growing threat of global terror, Azi Jankovic and her 16-year-old daughter Emmy boarded a flight to Cyprus.
The duo, based in the central Israeli city of Modi’in, had planned a quick getaway. But just before takeoff, a warning from Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) advised Israelis to exercise caution while traveling abroad. The governmental body cited an increased risk of attacks on Israelis, especially during the Passover season.
“I hadn’t really thought about the risk,” Jankovic told The Media Line. That changed when someone serving in the Israeli military mentioned growing threats to Israeli travelers. For a moment, she considered canceling the trip.
“The feeling reminded me of the same feeling I had on and off after October 7 for so long—this feeling that, ‘Oh, my God, what if I’m not safe?’” she said.
Like many Israelis, Jankovic eventually made the calculation that it wasn’t worth it to stay home. “Is it safe to be anywhere?” she recalled thinking. “I ultimately am a person of faith. I really believe that everything is from God. I believe we do our research by looking at the numbers and statistics. Where are we statistically safe? And we make the very best choice that we can.”
Once she decided to go, she said, the anxiety faded.
Each year, thousands of Israelis travel abroad before and during the weeklong Passover holiday, which begins this year on the evening of April 12. Earlier this week, the NSC issued a public advisory warning that Israelis could be targeted during the holiday, with threats on the rise since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023. The risks are especially acute in the wake of the restarted military operations in Gaza, which have been ongoing since March 18, the NSC said.
The NSC pointed to Iran and its regional partners, including Hezbollah and Hamas, as the driving forces behind efforts to attack Israelis overseas. The council noted that both organized terror networks and lone actors have recently intensified their activity.
The backdrop of the hate-filled general feeling towards Israelis and Jews in many countries because of the war continues to fuel motivation among terrorists to carry out attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad.
“The backdrop of the hate-filled general feeling towards Israelis and Jews in many countries because of the war continues to fuel motivation among terrorists to carry out attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad,” the NSC said in a message released earlier this month. “The climate of hate against Israelis and Jews due to the ongoing war continues to fuel terrorist efforts, both from organized cells and individual attackers.”
The NSC made note of recent attacks that fit these patterns, such as a car bombing in Australia, shooting and firebombing attacks in Canada, and a car ramming in New Orleans. It said it had disrupted multiple plots in recent months in Europe and beyond, including in Germany, Denmark, Bulgaria, and Sweden.
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The NSC also warned that Iranian agents have continued to pose as businesspeople or contacts on social media to lure Israelis into traps—either for abduction or harm. The council likewise flagged an uptick in activity by global jihadist groups such as the Islamic State group (IS), al-Qaida, and al-Shabab.
Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula—a longtime favorite destination for Israeli holidaymakers—remains a “high-risk area,” the NSC said, advising citizens to avoid traveling there altogether.
Joe Truzman, senior research analyst and editor of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal, told The Media Line that attacks on Israelis abroad have risen as significant strikes on Israel itself have become more difficult after more than a year of war in Gaza.
It isn’t a coincidence that we are observing warnings of attempts against Israeli targets abroad. While Israel has successfully thwarted many of these plots, just one going unnoticed could be devastating.
“It isn’t a coincidence that we are observing warnings of attempts against Israeli targets abroad,” he said. “While Israel has successfully thwarted many of these plots, just one going unnoticed could be devastating.”
Truzman’s colleague at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, research fellow Seth Frantzman, emphasized that Israeli travelers should take the warnings seriously. He said the NSC has been monitoring such threats for decades.
“So, it is certainly worth taking it seriously at a time of heightened tension,” he said.
Frantzman said that tensions may have eased slightly this week as the US and Iran began negotiations over a new nuclear deal.
“Iran would certainly not like to spoil the talks by any kind of large attack on Israel or Israelis,” he said.
But that’s no guarantee. Frantzman noted that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps often acts independently from the Iranian government.
Despite all the risks, Israeli citizens may not be interested in holding off on travel. Israelis are known for their resilience and love of travel, especially after such a difficult year, Frantzman said.
David Harris, host of The Jerusalem Post’s travel podcast, said that Israelis who do choose to travel abroad ought to take some precautions. He told The Media Line that it’s best to avoid speaking Hebrew in public, a practice he’s stopped since the October 7 attacks.
Harris said he chooses not to wear a kippah while abroad or display other outward signs of being Jewish. He also avoids standing in crowds or attending Israeli or Jewish events.
“I will not go in a group, and [I will] ensure my entry and exit from those places is swift. I look around me and try to be vigilant to see who is around,” he said. “If heaven forbid a terrorist wants to carry out an attack, there is, of course, very little you can do.”
Overall, his advice to travelers is simple: “Be patient—stay calm, relax, and enjoy your destination.”
That’s exactly what Mordy Charnowitz plans to do. He and his three children—ages 13, 11, and 7—were stuck in Greece this week after a 24-hour airport strike grounded flights and left many Israeli travelers stranded. Despite the travel warnings, they were on their way to the United States to visit family, a trip his kids had been eagerly counting down to.
Mordy Charnowitz and his three children during a recent unexpected stay in Greece after an airport strike left them and others stranded. (Courtesy)
Charnowitz said he’s not typically one to pay close attention to such security alerts. A frequent traveler, he hasn’t encountered any problems—even during a recent trip to Egypt.
He said he doesn’t go out of his way to showcase his Jewish identity, but he doesn’t hide it either.
I don’t like to be loud and Jewish. I like to be proud and Jewish.
“I don’t like to be loud and Jewish. I like to be proud and Jewish,” Charnowitz told The Media Line.
Stranded in Greece, Charnowitz and his three kids are making the most of it—and still looking forward to reuniting with family in the US, he said. For now, his focus is on moving forward, not looking over his shoulder.
