Concerns Rise for Safety of Israeli Tourists in UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt

YERUSHALAYIM
The flags of the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Israel and Bahrain, seen on the side of a road in Netanya. (Flash90)

There is increasing concern for the safety of Israelis traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt, as the Iranian threat to Israelis in Turkey refuses to ebb, Channel 13 reported Sunday.

Citing Israeli security officials, the report said that while the threat to Israeli tourists in the Gulf and across the Middle East is not concrete, it could soon become imminent, especially if “Tehran gets desperate” for reprisal.

Iran is seeking to retaliate against the recent mysterious deaths of Iranian scientists and top Revolutionary Guard officers, which the regime blames on Israel. Last week, Turkish media outlets exposed an Iranian ring that planned to carry out attacks against Israelis in the country, particularly in Istanbul – a favorite destination for Israelis.

The National Security Council’s Counterterrorism Bureau raised its travel warning for Istanbul to the highest level possible last week. The Level 4 travel advisory stipulates that Israelis should not travel to Istanbul, and any Israelis currently there should leave immediately.

“I would recommend Israelis not go there, and if they go they should take extra care,” an unnamed diplomatic source was also quoted in the report, referring to travel to the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said over the weekend that Israel obtained intelligence that several Iranian terrorist squads were actively trying to “hunt Israelis” through social media or identify them at major tourist sites in Istanbul to abduct or kill them.

“Israel is working to foil the Iranians’ attempts to carry out an attack and is preparing to respond with force in the face of any threat to Israeli citizens everywhere,” he said.

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!