Travelling to Israel

Eating waffles hu … I think that will make me an ideal target for both Palestinians and Israeli’s :D. At least they could do something together, clear me out of the way.

The other day I was watching Independence Day on TV. Had a few laughs when I saw an Israeli and Iraqi pilots brotherly fighting together against the aliens.

but, i thought you’re a waffle eating Belgium…. 😀

What does it matter? First of all, I have a Jewish name, I look like any westerner, and I pay with VISA. Hard for a terrorist to distinct me from an American or Israeli. I don’t wear those silly polo-shirts though like most yankee tourists:p

Nothing to worry about Geforce, you are not American nor a Jew, so what are you worried about?…maybe watch out for those IDF rockets flying everywhere…that’s why stay out of West Bank and Gaza. 😀

Hard question. We are master of our own decissions and we shouldn´t be forced to change our minds for terrorist reasons. But……we are human beings and I suppose the situation is volatile. Of course nobody won´t be stupid to get into a fighting situation, but kamikaze bombs are a present and clear danger. My main concern is about practical questions…are all the tourist paces open for visit?. If not….I wouldn´t go. Unfortunately the area has been conflictiv for dozens of year. I myself travelled in 1982 and there were also problems, but to say the truth Í didn´t see anything, and there weren´t restrictions to visit anything. Both in the Palestine and Israeli areas the population are bery friendly with tourism because for both tourism is a vital resource.

Geforce, what is safe?I mean there is always the possibility of something happening in every country. In all the times I’ve been in Israel (and trust me, that’s a lot) I also never experienced firsthand something.
Just as Skythe told don’t go near the West Bank or Gaza or so. As for Jeruzalem, well, that ‘s in the middle of it.. I just would’t go on fridays, that’s all.

If you stay in the right areas, your chances of getting hurt by terror are zilch. Traffic, well that’s another matter…..

Yes, but some how, the current situation in Israel interrests me. Lets hope for the sake of Israel that within a couple of years life is normal again, and thousands of tourists can gather around the beaches again, but I actually wanted to visit the country in the current situation.

Maybe this year I should visit one of the EU-candidate members before they get westernised and expensive in 2004. Estonia sounds nice.

Problem with these last-minute tickets is that they are for places I really don’t want to visit: Gran Canaria, Costa del Sol etc. Why aren’t there any last minutes to St. Petersburg or Kiev ?

Sounds to me you have made up your mind, Just visit this country in a few years like I will.

Re: Re: Travelling to Israel

Originally posted by skythe
Geforce, in my 27 years of living in this country, I have yet to witness one single terrorist attack of any kind. You’re more likely to get killed in a traffic accident than to fall prey to some terrorist. As long as you keep away from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, you’ll see very little to tell you there’s actually something out of the ordinary going on.

Thanks Skythe, but I’m not able to convince the rest. That’s what I also said, certainly the areas around Tel Aviv, Haifa and Eilat should be safe. But Eilat is actually the only thing I don’t care about (can go much cheaper to Ibiza or Benidorm if I want to see high appartment blocks). Maybe the Israeli tourism office should do an effort to promote Israel again, because after the Oslo-treaties, Israel was thé place to be for Europeans, where now, they rather visit Turkey or a Egypt. Tourism is very important for Israel’s economy. As you said, the chances of getting killed in a terrorist act are slim, but most people here hear about Israel daily on TV, and hence, they can’t make a distinction between the safe and risky areas. They think the situation in Israel is comparable to Afghanistan, Iraq, while I think visiting Israel for example is much safer than South Africa or Russia.
There are also certain places in Belgium I wouldn’t advice you to go. Maybe within a year or two I can visit Israel because I definitelly want to go there. But a trip to Israel is not like going to Spain.

And since the Belgian gov’t advices people not to visit Israel, most will follow these guidelines.
(I hope you understand some French)

Avis de voyage ISRAEL

Date: 28/04/2003

(Avis pour ISRAEL et LES TERRITOIRES PALESTINIENS, toujours valable depuis la date de publication)

Les conditions de sécurité ne sont pas considérées comme optimales pour le voyageur en raison des risques d’attentats en Israël.

Dans ce contexte, il est conseillé de n’envisager que des voyages pour raisons spécifiques (professionnelles ou familiales) et de se conformer aux instructions locales de sécurité.

Seule la destination touristique d’Eilat au bord de la Mer Rouge peut être considérée comme ne présentant pas de risque particulier.

Les visites dans les Territoires palestiniens, en Cisjordanie et dans la Bande de Gaza, sont toujours formellement déconseillées.

Il est recommandé aux voyageurs devant se rendre en Israël et/ou dans les Territoires palestiniens de prendre contact et de se signaler auprès de l’ambassade de Belgique à Tel Aviv ou auprès du Consulat Général à Jérusalem (adresses et nos. de tél. au bas de cet avis de voyage).

Avis de voyage général

En Israël et dans les Territoires palestiniens, le risque pour la sécurité reste élevé.
Il est conseillé de se tenir au courant des développements de l’actualité nationale et internationale et des conditions de sécurité locales avant et tout au long du séjour.
Les risques d’attentats en Israël sont réels et élevés.
De violents affrontements peuvent avoir lieu dans les Territoires palestiniens au cours d’actions militaires israéliennes.

Pour les voyages s’avérant nécessaires, il convient de s’en référer aux recommandations suivantes :

Il est fortement recommandé d’éviter le Nord d’Israël (région proche de la frontière libanaise) ainsi que la bande frontalière entre Israël et Gaza. La situation y est tendue et peut se révéler dangereuse.

Ailleurs en Israël également, il convient de limiter ses déplacements aux cas strictement indispensables.

Les attentats sont fréquents, notamment à Tel Aviv et à Jérusalem. Les voyageurs seront extrêmement prudents et éviteront les lieux à forte concentration humaine.

Dans la partie orientale de Jérusalem (la vieille ville incluse), il convient de respecter strictement les mesures de sécurité en vigueur. Il est recommandé de ne pas visiter la “vieille ville” le vendredi.
La plus grande prudence est également de rigueur à Jérusalem-ouest.

De manière générale, la plus grande vigilance s’impose à tout moment et en tout lieu durant le séjour. Les voyageurs veilleront à respecter scrupuleusement les consignes de sécurité et les instructions données par les autorités locales.

Une extrême vigilance est requise lors de l’utilisation des transports en communs, mais aussi en passant à proximité d’arrêts de bus, sur les terrasses d’établissements Horeca, les marchés et centres commerciaux, ainsi que dans tout autre lieu public.

Il est en outre recommandé :

de n’utiliser que des taxis et des tours opérateurs officiels connaissant les risques éventuels liés à certaines destinations ;

de ne pas pratiquer l’auto-stop ou de prendre un auto-stoppeur à bord de son véhicule.

Il est vivement recommandé de se tenir à l’écart de toute manifestation ou rassemblement de foule.

Les voyageurs doivent être conscients du fait que les autorités israéliennes, à l’arrivée à l’aéroport Ben Gurion ou aux frontières terrestres, sont susceptibles de refuser l’accès au territoire aux personnes qu’elles soupçonnent de vouloir se rendre en Cisjordanie ou à Gaza pour apporter leur soutien à la cause palestinienne.

Recommandations complémentaires

Il faut éviter de prendre des photographies d’installations militaires, de bâtiments des forces de l’ordre, de même que du personnel militaire ou de la police.

Les voyageurs sont invités à respecter les coutumes et traditions locales

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has a website which states which countries should be avoided for travel either for business or pleasure. Their comment on Israel is virtually identical to skythe’s;

Avoid West Bank and Gaza; along Israel’s border with Lebanon; close to the Israeli side of the Israel/Gaza border

From my own personal experience I can say that Israel is a truly beautiful country. I have never seen anything on British television which really shows even a little of the vast richness and colour of the people and countryside. I’m sure you will love it.

Re: Travelling to Israel

Geforce, in my 27 years of living in this country, I have yet to witness one single terrorist attack of any kind. You’re more likely to get killed in a traffic accident than to fall prey to some terrorist. As long as you keep away from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, you’ll see very little to tell you there’s actually something out of the ordinary going on.

Originally posted by Geforce
Well, actually I wanted to make a 6-day trip to Israel with my cousin. (Un)fortunatelly, my mother doesn’t like the idea of seeing her son again in a body-bag.

Again?

Well like I said the chances of that happening are very slimm, but if you really want to enjoy your vacation then I would go in a couple of years when things are settled down a bit. You don’t want to spend your holliday looking over your solder, do you?

I think the situation in Israel is totaly different (mind you I never visited Belgium in WWII and never visited Israel). In Israel there is a kind of civil war going on and that was not really the case in Belgium. In Belgium there wasn’t the risk of getting blown a way as a civilian and the possibility does excist in Israel.

But Israel should be a beautifull country which is high on the list of countries I want to visit one day.

Well, actually I wanted to make a 6-day trip to Israel with my cousin. (Un)fortunatelly, my mother doesn’t like the idea of seeing her son again in a body-bag. Maybe a bit exaggerated, but it’s hard for people here to imagine daily life in Israel. Most people think Israel is at war, in a same way Belgium was at war in the 40’s for example. Maybe i’m too young to visit such a country, but I would definitelly like to go there one day, and I hope within a couple of years situation is normal again. My unle has visited Israel regulary in the past, and he’s very enthousiastical about it.

The chances of getting killed in Israel are slim. But if you see a bombing or are caught up in one then that could really ruin your day. My advice would be not to go treir untill things are settled down abit.