395
Itongadol.- Israel again instructed its citizens to avoid visiting Turkey and “to get out of there as quickly as possible” on Tuesday, in light of the approaching Passover travel season.
On Friday, Israel issued a dramatic announcement, raising the threat level for Turkey to the highest possible level, which designates a large, concrete threat.
Israelis should “avoid visiting [Turkey] and get out of there as quickly as possible,” the Counter-Terrorism Bureau said in a statement.
Speaking to journalists Tuesday, a senior counter-terrorism official in the Israeli government reviewed the travel warnings for countries around the world ahead of Passover and the spring season, when many Israelis take advantage of the holidays to go abroad.
“We encourage Israelis to cancel their vacations in Turkey, to change them to other destinations through their travel companies. We also have been in contact with the travel agencies over the past week to ensure that they are adhering to the requests of citizens to change their destinations to countries that aren’t under a travel warning,” he said.
However, layovers in Turkey’s airports are not considered an issue at this time, the official added.
The travel warning is officially “a recommendation” and not an order, the official said.
Maybe some “dictatorships” can stop people from traveling, but “under Israeli law, what we say is a recommendation,” he added.
Last month, three Israelis and an Iranian national were killed and 39 people wounded when an Islamic State terrorist blew himself up on Istiklal Caddesi, a famous shopping street in the heart of Turkey’s biggest city.
A report Wednesday on Channel 2 news said that despite the travel warning, over 110,000 Israelis were planning to fly to Turkey during the upcoming Passover festival.
The official would not discuss the specific intelligence that led to the drastic announcement, but instead cited a general “situational assessment.”
In addition, visits to the Sinai Peninsula should also be canceled amid the ongoing conflict between the Islamic State and Egyptian forces, the official said.
Furthermore, in light of the terror attacks in Brussels last month and in Paris last year, Israelis visiting Europe should be “more aware” of their surroundings and be cautious of “standing out” as Israelis in their dress and speech, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau said in a statement.
Though there are constant threats to Israelis abroad from international jihadist organizations, “this is infinitely more relevant in light of the upcoming Passover holiday,” the senior official said.
Such travel warnings are “based on solid and trusted intelligence,” the Counter-Terrorism Bureau said in its statement.
Though already illegal as destinations, the official stressed the need for Israelis to avoid “hostile countries” in the Middle East, notably Syria, Iran, Yemen and Iraq, in light of the dangers to Israeli citizens there.
“In addition, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau warns against visiting countries that border hostile countries or war-torn areas (especially Libya) — in light of the threat of kidnapping,” the bureau said.