Decreasing Travel Options for Israelis: These Countries Still Offer a Warm Welcome to Jews

tel aviv - Where can Israelis still travel safely? The puzzle is getting smaller. Read all about the incidents worldwide and the government's travel advice on Telegraaf.nl.

These countries have a grim history of ghettos, persecution of Jews, and antisemitism, but now offer a warm welcome to Israelis. Israeli travel agencies believe this is mainly due to the absence of large Muslim minorities who are highly critical of the war in Gaza. Authorities in Jerusalem are now warning their citizens to reconsider traveling to cities with such minorities. Countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary have seen hardly any antisemitic incidents since the massacre of October 7, while the number in Western Europe has skyrocketed.

The world for Israelis has become significantly smaller over the past year. This is partly due to most international airlines not flying to Tel Aviv for safety reasons. And that's going to stay that way. The national airport has already closed a terminal, primarily due to the absence of popular budget airlines.

Israelis are now largely reliant on their own airlines, which, due to their monopoly and the scarcity of flights, are significantly raising prices.

Even destinations reachable by car, like Jordan and the Egyptian Sinai, are no longer viable options for most people. The Sinai, especially among Israeli youth, was a popular destination: carefree stays in beach huts. Now, most people are afraid to visit. Only Arab Israelis are not deterred.

The same goes for Turkey. It was a very popular vacation spot for years, despite tensions at the time. Istanbul was also the gateway to the rest of the world, but there are no longer direct flights to Turkey. That is unlikely to change soon. President Erdogan constantly accuses Israel of genocide, a significant part of Hamas leadership, no longer welcome in Qatar, has recently settled in Turkey, and Ankara recently banned Israeli President Herzog from flying through Turkish airspace to a climate summit in Azerbaijan.

There are also problems in far-off places for Israelis. Take Thailand, where the island of Koh Phangan is traditionally a popular destination. After October 7, many Israelis settled in the place, mainly known for the monthly Full Moon party. Last week, that community also lived in fear after Israeli media, partly based on Mossad information, warned of a concrete plot to attack Israelis during that party.

Thai police denied an increased threat, and the party in Haad Rin eventually went smoothly. Nevertheless, it was a new blow to Israelis' sense of security, encouraged by their government to hide their origin as much as possible abroad.

Israeli holidaymakers were recently urged to leave part of Sri Lanka as soon as possible. A hit squad was said to be targeting them. Shortly after, an Afghan was arrested, stating that he had been recruited by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to carry out an attack on Israelis.

These are real dangers and threats Israelis have long faced. What's new is that they are no longer welcome in some places. The Maldives' government, for example, wanted to deny them entry into the country. They eventually refrained because Arab Israelis would also be affected.

There is also a long series of incidents. From a South African hotel receptionist in Paris who refused to give an Israeli family a room despite a reservation, to a hotel in the Italian Dolomites that recently refused a booking from Israelis due to the 'genocide in Gaza'.

Israel's national airline El Al has already canceled several destinations this year because there is simply no demand due to those countries' stance towards the Jewish state. These include Ireland and South Africa, which has sued Israel in the International Court of Justice for alleged genocide.

Morocco was canceled for security reasons. Traditional attractions are now being replaced by Israeli holidaymakers, based on a threat analysis, with other places like Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Montenegro.

A unique exception in the entire travel industry is the United Arab Emirates. Airlines from Dubai and Abu Dhabi almost continuously flew to Tel Aviv this past year, despite war risks and anger in the Arab world. The country has had a peace agreement with Israel for four years and continues to respect it for economic and political reasons. The Emirates are the gateway to Asia for many Israelis.