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New Global Campaign for Tourism in Israel starring British TV host Sian Welby

Following the successful “Two Cities One Break” campaign we created for the Israeli ministry of tourism last year, a new global campaign was recently launched based on a concept we created: “Two Sunny Cities. One Break.”

We collaborated once more with last year’s beloved presenter Shir Elmaliach and teamed her up with famous British TV host Sian Welby.

The video, directed by Tal Zagreba, uses Instagram’s stories aesthetics as it follows the two when they travel together in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In order to attract potential tourists from cold and grey Europe, the main theme in the campaign is the Israeli sun, with Boney M’s “Sunny” played in the background.

The video will be promoted on TV and online across Europe.

An article on Ynet covers the new campaign >

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Israel’s Ministry of Tourism Launches Brand New Ad Campaign

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has launched a new commercial advertising campaign promoting Israel as a leading holiday destination for tourists from both the UK, Europe and the US

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has launched a new commercial advertising campaign promoting Israel as a leading holiday destination for tourists from both the UK, Europe and the US. Targeting key online platforms including Google, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram the campaign’s ‘digital first’ advertising strategy is focused towards highlighting Israel’s individuality as a destination and establishing a personal connection with visitors.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism have looked to highlight the country’s diversity, contrasts, history, people and places. Predominantly focused on consumers looking to book their next holiday, the campaign video highlights some of the lesser known, surprise activities available in Israel, using the country’s vast array of opportunities to its advantage and ensuring viewers are left wanting to know more.

Due to the campaign’s online nature, and in a conscious effort to move away from linear television campaigns, the advertising strategy involves attracting a dynamic target audience, with platforms including TikTok used as a tool to meet online users at multiple vantage points.

Whilst Israel’s Ministry of Tourism limited all campaigns and advertising operations worldwide during the pandemic, due to a 9% increase in tourism figures in January 2023 when compared to pre-pandemic levels in January 2019, the Ministry has resumed strategies to ultimately continue this positive upward trajectory.

The campaign has specifically targeted countries in which Israel saw a large increase in inbound tourism between 2016-2019, including the US, UK, France, Italy and Germany. Part of this innovative strategy will involve an ‘always-on’ online presence throughout the year using world-class smart TV platforms, as data received from media including Google has shown that consumers are booking holidays all-year-round, with a spike at the start of the year.

  In addition, in the UK specifically, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism will also be launching £280,000 worth of outdoor advertising in London containing slogans from the campaign. The campaign is expected to arrive between February and March 2023 as this period is frequently characterised by searches for spring and summer holiday bookings.

  For more information, please visit  here.

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Israel’s tourism sector once again in crisis amid war in Gaza

Tourism began to recover from the coronavirus pandemic in 2022 and 2023, and expectations were high before oct. 7.

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Ever since the State of Israel suffered a brutal surprise attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on Oct. 7, incoming tourism has almost abruptly come to a halt and has continued until today, more than three months later. Foreign airline companies have systematically suspended their flights to Israel, except for the operational Israeli airlines.

On Oct. 30, the Hebrew-language financial news site Globes wrote: “Since the outbreak of the war, there has been an 80% decrease in the number of flights and an almost complete stop of incoming tourism. The industry is disturbed not only by the loss of income but also by the loss of professional workers and is asking the state for help in preserving them. The optimistic estimates speak of a return to normality only in the spring of 2024”.

The forecast by Globes was very optimistic, however, as most of the agents, tour guides and tourism experts only see Israel’s tourism sector coming back to life gradually at the end of 2024.

With an almost complete absence of tourists visiting Israeli sites, some airline foreign companies have returned to Israel in January 2024 but there are very few tourists on the streets of Israel.

The popular Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb tourism sites in Jerusalem are almost empty, which is something only recently seen, back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic – and before that, had almost never occurred in decades.

Some local tour agencies have, nevertheless, formed pilot tour groups composed of courageous “Israel lovers” – mainly Christians Evangelical tourists – this last month, but even so, it is still very embryonic.

While the missiles and rockets fire have almost completely ceased across most of Israel, and the war is being fought in the Gaza Strip or near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon – most travel agencies abroad do not recommend tourists visit Israel during this time. In addition, the lack of available rooms at hotels, due to the large quantity of Israeli evacuees who have been forced to relocate from areas close to Israel’s southern and northern borders, limits the possibility of bringing large groups of tourists from abroad.

The coronavirus pandemic was already a major and painful blow for Israel’s tourism, especially during the year 2020-2021, for all aspects of the tourism industry, including  airlines, souvenir shops, restaurants, tourism sites, Israeli tour guides, hotels, transportation and bus drivers. The tourism sector had just slightly recovered somewhat during 2022 and 2023, and expectations were high, but once again fell into the abyss after the Oct. 7 Hamas atrocities.

According to Ynet news, and other official sources, during 2023 (and before Oct. 7), some 3,010,000 tourists arrived in Israel, compared to 2.67 million in 2022, representing a decline by about 34% compared to 2019, before COVID, which was a record year for Israeli tourism, with some 4.5 million tourists. This decrease wasn’t a major concern, as most everyone expected tourism to come back gradually. Despite these optimistic predictions, the reality was quite different.

In addition, some major building sites in Israel have been temporarily paused, some of which included a new hotel infrastructure project. For example, the popular Haas Promenade in Jerusalem was in the process of building a brand new line of hotels before the war, promising an impressive future location with an amazing view of the Old City and Temple Mount. However, today there is no sign of construction at the site: The cranes are standing like dead skeletons.

War in Israel creates a crisis that prevents hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from earning a living by working at Israeli construction sites. Wars also prevent future potential tourists from visiting due to security and safety concerns.

At times, the State of Israel is not able to promote its tourism in a way that lines up with the tremendous potential, however, security issues and sensitivities surrounding the volatile situation in the Middle East play a factor in the Holy Land tourism industry.

Critics in Israel’s tourism industry have recently challenged the Israeli government, saying there is a lack of planning for emergency situations, such as the current war, which has dealt a severe blow to those who are dependent on tourism for their livelihood.

Since the war began, Israel has spent billions of shekels for security and other war-related expenses, which is understandable. However, they argue that independent entrepreneurs in the travel sector, despite some receiving financial assistance from the government, are asked to pay it back “after the fact.”

They argue that other industry sectors in Israel are better supported by the Finance Ministry, including high tech, and mainly security, while tourism has been relegated to the category of education and healthcare during emergency periods and not considered part of Israel’s annual emergency budget.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, 54% of the incoming tourists are Christians. Besides the tourism crisis affecting those who work in the industry, Israelis and Palestinians alike, it is a source of grief for the would-be visitors, especially Christian pilgrims who are thirsty to follow the “paths of Jesus” and journey to the locations where the biblical stories took place.  

Despite the current situation, including the possible escalation of war on Israel’s northern border with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, those who support Israel should, nevertheless, hold onto hope for better days and the belief that the phrase “Next Year in Jerusalem” will, indeed, come to pass.

Aaron Goel-Angot

Aaron Goel-Angot is a Belgian-Israeli archaeologist with an expertise in antiquities identification. He is an enthusiastic numismatist and a licensed tour guide. He holds a BA degree in archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He joined the ALL ISRAEL NEWS team as an Archaeology and Tourism correspondent. Aaron is married, father of three young children and lives in Jerusalem.

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As deadly fighting with Hamas continues, Israel's tourism industry prepares for the worst

• As fighting between Hamas and Israel continues, the country's tourism industry braces for a slowdown.
• Local businesses and tour guides told Insider they've already experienced mass cancellations.
• Experts and locals say the industry is prepared to bounce back when the conflict cools off.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, Atlanta residents Jessica and David Goldberg booked an Oceania Cruise. The voyage started in Greece and dropped them off in Israel on October 4, where they planned to spend the next week exploring. 

The pair were in Israel for three days before they awoke to the sound of sirens and the booming of rockets overhead, they told Insider. The rockets, launched by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, were a part of  terrorist attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,300 Israelis. The next day, Israel declared war on Hamas , and more than 4,000 Israelis and Palestinians have died in the days following as the war intensifies. According to data collected by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , more than 16,000 people have been injured so far.

But unlike many travelers, the Goldbergs decided not to cut their trip short and stayed until October 11 — five days after the initial attack by Hamas. They ultimately departed on El Al, one of the few airlines still servicing Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. 

"We are, essentially, just inconvenienced American tourists trying to get a flight home," David Goldberg told Insider. "But compared to the horror that's been unfolding around Gaza, our plight is fairly minor in the scheme of things, and we're not trying to make a big deal about it. We're just trying to get home and support Israel however we can."

Like the Goldbergs, thousands of other tourists have departed and their abrupt exits from Israel will mark a massive slowdown for the country's tourism industry — one that local business owners and tourism professionals say they're dreading but are nonetheless prepared to withstand. 

As tourists leave or reconsider visiting, local businesses and guides say they've experienced mass cancellations

Wassim Razzouk, who spoke to Insider on the phone from his tattoo shop in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, described a scene reminiscent of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: By October 9, the ancient city's labyrinthine alleys, typically bustling with visitors and locals alike, had cleared out.

Razzouk, who owns Razzouk Tattoo, a centuries-old tattoo parlor , said that tourists' departures had an immediate effect on his business, with people canceling their reservations for the next few weeks and into November.

Two days after Hamas' attack, Razzouk said about 50 people had already canceled their appointments. He said the shop typically gets a few hundred visitors a month. While he expects a few walk-ins, he predicts many more missed appointments and cancellations, especially as the US State Department has issued a "level three" travel advisory , warning tourists to reconsider travel to Israel. The State Department advises to avoid travel to Gaza altogether.

"This will be a big hit in a time that should have been the peak season, probably of the year," Razzouk told Insider. "October and November, we were expecting to be one of the best times of business."

"This is a big blow for the business — not only for my business but for the whole tourism industry," he continued.

Ziv Cohen, a tour guide from Mazkeret Batya, a small town about 24 miles from Gaza , said his tours for the rest of the month and early November have also been canceled. He told Insider he booked 20 days of tours in October. Cohen said he has one tour scheduled in December, but it seems unlikely any new tour requests will come soon. 

Related stories

"I don't see that a new request will come until the war is over," Cohen said. "So I can only take care of the reservation that exists, and try and convince them to not to cancel immediately, because maybe — it's a small chance — but maybe it will be short," he said, referring to the war.

Cohen and Razzouk said that while they are concerned for their businesses and their welfare, they have bigger things on their mind: their families' physical and financial safety and the people more directly caught in the violence at the Gaza border. 

"My survival challenges are small," Cohen said. "Because people lost their world, their families."

The experience is like 'déjà vu' — but the industry is equipped to bounce back, business owners say

Israel remains far from a sense of normalcy. In the wake of the shocking terror attacks, Israelis have repeatedly faced rocket attacks from Gaza while its military trades blows with Hezbollah militants in the country's north. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday the fight against Hamas will be "a long war."

Razzouk said the mood of the city felt somewhat like the doldrums of the pandemic but also said that Israel has gotten used to periods of turmoil and has learned to recover quickly.

"We've been hit really bad a few times in our lives, with this country going into conflicts and wars," Razzouk said. "Right away, the first thing that will be affected is the tourism industry, and the last one that will recover is the tourism industry. Now, it's déjà vu."

In 2020, 831,000 tourists visited Israel, down from more than 4.5 million the year before, according to Statista . Visitor numbers were trending closer to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with 2.5 million tourists entering the country so far this year.

Ben Julius, the founder of Tourist Israel , one of the country's largest tourism organizations, said sporadic slowdowns in tourism aren't uncommon in Israel and the industry is accustomed to bouncing back. While he doesn't think it will take years for the industry to recover from the current conflict, it's a drain on businesses for the time being.

"I think from a tourism perspective is something that we've seen before," Julius said. "The industry knows how to handle these situations. So I think the long-term issue is going to be showing people again, that Israel is safe and it's a good time to come, which is something that we've encountered in the past."

As Israelis cope with the fallout from Hamas' attack, Palestinians face a humanitarian crisis

Last week, Israeli's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, declared the "complete siege" of Gaza , cutting off its electricity, food, water, and fuel.

In the days that followed, the Israel Defense Forces told the UN that the more than 1 million people living in northern Gaza should evacuate within 24 hours — a demand the UN deemed "impossible." According to the US State Department, there are 600 American citizens still in Gaza who have struggled to get out,  NBC News reported on October 16 . The border between Egypt and Gaza  has remained closed , despite diplomatic talks and trapping those inside.

In an October 17 statement, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said "there are daily indications of violations of the laws of war and international human rights law" as Israel's military operations are affecting Gaza's food, water, and medical supplies.

As Insider previously reported, Doctors Without Borders in Gaza — where people under 18 make up nearly half the population — said that many of their patients have been children .

"This is because the majority of the injured in Gaza are women and children since they are the ones who are most often in the houses that get destroyed in the airstrikes," said Ayman Al-Djaroucha, the deputy project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Gaza. 

Watch: Over 1 million in Gaza forced to evacuate in 24 hours after Israel issues order

• Main content

2023 off to a Strong Start for Israel’s Tourism Industry

Israel’s tourism sector experienced a strong rebound in 2022, welcoming close to 2.7 million tourists back after pandemic closures.

This injected nearly $4 billion back into the economy and helped Israel get back on track toward a record-breaking year of tourism in 2023.

A statement from the Minister of Tourism explained what the department is looking forward to the most in the new year.

“2022 was a year of recovery from the corona crisis. The trend is positive and breaking the incoming tourism record of 2019 is a realistic goal on the horizon. Domestic tourism has proven itself as an economic force just as essential as incoming tourism. Our goal is to reduce obstacles, to launch projects that increase the accommodation supply and develop infrastructure, to fully realize the tourism potential in the country.”

Tourism quickly picked up as borders fully opened up in March 2022 and the effortless Israel eVisa became available once more.

New Minister of Tourism

The year started off with the inauguration of a new Israeli Minister of Tourism, with Haim Katz taking over from Yoel Razvozov .

During his inauguration, Katz highlighted a few of his goals for 2023, emphasizing the importance of effective financial management.

“The ministry plays a major role in strengthening the economy and promoting the beautiful face of Israel. Our goal is to reach new records. We must utilize to the full every budget, there can be no such thing as returning money to the Finance Ministry. We must continue to improve services for tourists, for incoming tourists and Israeli tourists alike. We will work to improve infrastructure and increase the supply of accommodation options. Every Israeli family should be able to enjoy the beauty of our country and find a place to stay that suits their personal budget.”

New Tourism destinations in Israel

The UN World Tourism Organization has recognized Kfar Kama as a “Tourist Village”, making it the latest addition to a global network of villages supported by the organization.

“Kfar Kama, which has been chosen by the UN World Tourism Organization, will become a center for pilgrimage by many tourists and will have an important positive impact on the rural surroundings”, the former Tourism Minister, Yoel Razvozov said.

Minister Katz also mentioned 2 regions that should be getting a lot more attention in the coming months:

“We will invest in areas that may not have received sufficient support to date. For example, our local Tuscany in Judea and Samaria.” He also added that “Every Israeli family should be able to enjoy the beauty of our country and find accommodation options that

suit their economic ability.”

Big Cash Injection for Israel’s tourism industry

Close to $100 million has been made available to facilitate the establishment and upkeep of tourism infrastructure in 2023.

Local authorities applied for funds to create parking lots, promenades, bridges, sound and light shows, renovate markets and public spaces, unique lighting, trails, parks, observation points and more.

Minister Katz explained that the value of this investment lies mainly in the potential for returning tourism.

“Improvement of infrastructure and beautification upgrades the tourist experience and encourages returning tourism. I have asked the ministry to prepare a directive for the support budget for 2023, that will place an emphasis on budgetary efficiency alongside maximizing the tourism potential.”

There were around 210 applications and as many as 160 of them were approved after meeting the criteria for funding.

Jerusalem marathon attracts thousands

The first major event on Israel’s tourism calendar is the 12 th annual Winner Marathon in Jerusalem.

The race pits runners against the steep hills and inclines of Jerusalem and takes them through the old and new neighborhoods, making it one of the most beautiful and difficult races of its kind.

Jerusalem’s Mayor, Moshe Lion, released a statement, announcing his excitement for the race and emphasizing the value of an event of this scale in the city.

“We are excited to announce the opening of the Jerusalem ‘Winner’ Marathon events and celebrate 12 years of activity, in which hundreds of thousands of runners from Israel and around the world have participated. Jerusalem invites professional athletes and sports enthusiasts to register and take part in one of the most remarkable sports events in Israel while enjoying an unforgettable running experience that includes getting to know significant landmarks in the history of Jerusalem.”

The race finishes at Sacher Park and some of the highlights along the route include the Walls of Jerusalem, the Armenian Quarter, the Tower of David and the Sultan’s Pool.

There are 6 races runners can register for, starting from the short 0.8 km Community Race and 1.5 km Family Race to the popular 5km and 10km races and going up to the lengthy half-marathon and full-marathon.

The marathon takes place on March 17 and registration closes on March 1.

Jeremy Scott Foster

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Steady tourism recovery continues in Israel

In the first two months of 2023 israel recorded 590,500 entries into the country, up from 137,400 entries in the first two months of 2022, but below the 695,500 entries in the first two months of 2020 before the covid pandemic..

Israel recorded 319,100 entries into the country in February 2023, of which 307,000 were tourists who stayed at least one night, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. This is sharply higher than 90,700 entries into the country in February 2022 when there were still severe restrictions on entry into Israel because of the Covid pandemic. In February 2020, just before the pandemic struck, there was a record 365,500 entries into the country including 343,800 tourists who stayed at least one night.

In the first two months of 2023 Israel recorded 590,500 entries into the country, up from 137,400 entries in the first two months of 2022, but below the 695,500 entries in the first two months of 2020 before the Covid pandemic struck.

Israel recorded 2.9 million entries into the country in 2022, of which 2.7 million were tourists who stayed at least one night, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Restrictions on the entry of foreign tourists into Israel were only fully removed in May 2022 and as a result tourist numbers still have a long way to go to surpass the record 4.9 million entries into Israel in 2019 before the pandemic including a record 4.5 million tourists who stayed at least one night.

At the same time the number of Israelis traveling abroad now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. In February 2023, Israelis made 569,100 trips abroad, reports the Central Bureau of Statistics, compared with 309,400 trips abroad when travel restrictions still applied in February 2022 and the 452,100 Israelis who traveled abroad in February 2020, just before the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. Israelis made 1,173,000 trips abroad in the first two months of 2023 compared with 494,800 in the first two months of 2022 and 995,100 in the first two months of 2020.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 6, 2023.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.

Tourism to Israel Drops Sharply in October Amid War With Hamas

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the deserted area outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, as the conflict wreaks havoc across the tourism sector, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's war with Hamas led to a steep decline in tourism to Israel in October, official data showed on Monday.

Nearly 99,000 visitors, most designated as tourists, came to Israel in October, versus 369,000 in October 2022 and 485,000 in pre-pandemic October 2019, the Central Bureau of Statistics said.

Some 72.2% of those who came last month arrived for the Jewish festival of Sukkot in the first week of October, which ended on Oct. 7, the day Hamas gunmen crossed from Gaza and rampaged through Israeli towns, sparking the war.

Militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel and Israel has responded with air strikes in Gaza as well as a ground offensive.

War in Israel and Gaza

With it being unclear how long the war will last, tourism - a key growth driver - is expected to recover slowly, as it did after past conflicts and after COVID.

Over the first 10 months of 2023, 3.15 million people have visited Israel, up from 2.2 million a year earlier but below 4.01 million in the same period of 2019.

The bureau also said that 454,000 Israelis left the country in October, down from 828,000 a year ago, a month when many people travel abroad for the Sukkot holiday.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters .

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Israeli tourism bouncing back despite domestic troubles

Israeli tourism is on an upswing, while facing political and infrastructure challenges.

“Now we are seeing a confluence of circumstances that influence each other – the economy, the perception of safety and of general instability. This brings many tourists, even those who already made reservations, to recalculate their course and wait for a more stable period.” Yael Danieli

How many tourists have come to Israel?

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One Operator’s Outlook: Israel Tourism Recovery Reflecting Post-Covid Trends

How one Israel-based operator is weathering the current travel disruption, and when they expect travelers to return to the region

by Janelle Visser | 27 November 2023

The recent outbreak and escalation of violence in the Israel and Palestine region is another difficult blow to operators still struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of Covid.

“The last month for us has been from 100 to zero in a second, even more dramatic than the way things shut down in Covid,” said Ben Julius, founder at Tourist Israel , which typically hosts 150,000 travelers per year. “Israel only reopened last summer from Covid, so we’ve only had 12 months of recovery.”

Julius spoke with Arival to share Tourist Israel’s perspective on the current impact of the war on tourism bookings, and their outlook for 2024.

Local, Regional Tourism Impact of War 

“We also see that our bookings in Jordan and Egypt have also dried up,” Julius continued. “There’s an impact on the whole region… Tourism is very intertwined especially between Jordan and Israel.”

“We were planning to have 15,000 tourists traveling with us this [October], and the first week was really on target and then just…” he trails off. 

Israel bookings are not the only ones being impacted: destinations that are used to receiving travelers from Israel are also feeling the effects. 

“The recent disruption has certainly caused confusion among travelers considering trips to the Middle East,” shared Firoz Musthafa, Co-Founder and COO of Dubai-based tours and activities online travel agency (OTA) Thrillark. While Dubai bookings themselves have remained unaffected by the outbreak of conflict in Israel-Palestine, Thrillark expects “a significant reduction in travelers from Israel to Dubai, as major airlines have reduced their operations to and from Tel Aviv due to the escalating conflict.”

Musthafa also shared that, while Morocco and Oman are widely regarded as safe options for travel, Turkey “has experienced heightened tensions in the region as a result of the outbreak.”

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Tourist Israel Focused on Experiential Tours, Local Interaction

Tourist Israel focuses on tours that encourage travelers to interact with locals. “We found there’s a lack of experiential tours [in Israel],” he explains. “We’re trying to create an experience which fuses the main locations that people can’t compromise on visiting with very unique inside experiences that we really go deep on.” Whether it’s interacting with a chef in Jerusalem, or sleeping in a Bedouin camp in Jordan, or a coffee factory in Italy that’s never been open to the public,  “we really try to insert that experience in whatever we do.”

“My belief is that the experiences that people go back with… are not the ones that they expected,” says Julius. “People expect that Petra’s going to be the highlight, but the conversation they had with the Bedouin man in the camp is the one they go home and remember.”

Tourism Outlook Optimistic for 2024

While tours in Israel are on hold at the moment, Julius is optimistic about the industry’s ability to bounce back. “Israel is always a very dynamic and unpredictable place, and there’s always been flare ups… whether it comes to a few days or something more dramatic, so we’ve become very resilient to adjusting to the situation.” 

“Things come back more and more quickly [since Covid] so we hope that will happen again… we are seeing more comparisons in the trend here to Covid and during November so far are seeing traffic reflect the Covid period and a small but steady flow of new reservations,” Julius shares. “We have already begun receiving more interest from tourists planning to travel to Israel in 2024.” 

They’re also finding themselves acting as a source of information for travelers. “Our customer support is still working seven days a week… providing a lot of general information and optimism to people who are dreaming of and planning future trips,” shares Julius. “We find that our brand is being strengthened by this and the resilience is encouraging us for the future.”

“I think one of the biggest challenges we have is fighting the media images,” observes Julius. “As soon as this ends there will be a recovery period of a few months and we hope that after those few months things will go back to how they were before.” 

Note: for another perspective, see also our recent interview with Abraham Hostels & Tours and Visit Hebron Palestine . Are you an experience operator based in Israel, Gaza or the surrounding regions, and being impacted by the current situation? If you have a story to share, please let us know . 

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U.S. citizens should heed the  Travel Advisory  for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. The U.S. Embassy continues to closely monitor the dynamic security situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. There are active military operations and active rocket and mortar fire in Gaza and the Gaza periphery.  Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Violence can occur in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza without warning. If you require emergency assistance while in Israel, the West Bank or Gaza, contact the  U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem  by email ([email protected]).

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Security Council: Israelis, Jews face significant terror threat abroad

I srael’s National Security Council published a review on Thursday of the threat to Israelis from terror abroad, ahead of an anticipated increase in travel for the spring holidays.

Dozens of threats against Israeli targets have been thwarted in the past months, and the threat to Israelis abroad is especially high, the NSC said. There has been a continuous trend of increased threats to Israelis abroad in recent years that has gotten worse since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, they said, adding that the Iranian threat is prominent and has also increased.

There are a number of events abroad expected to draw Israeli crowds, including the Eurovision Song Contest and the Olympics, an Israeli official said, adding that Israelis attending these events should proceed with caution, especially about displaying Israeli signs abroad.

Iran is still the central, worldwide terror actor and has expanded its activity against Israeli citizens and Jews around the world in recent years, both directly and through proxies, it reported. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, these efforts have increased, according to the council. Iranian terror bodies continue trying to contact Israelis abroad and in Israel in disguise or under the guise of business in an attempt to harm or kidnap them, the NSC reported.

The ongoing war has also led to a significant increase in Hamas activity against Jews and Israelis abroad. In December 2023, a large terror infrastructure belonging to Hamas was exposed in a number of European countries, the council said.

Council discourages Israelis to identify themselves abroad

Global Jihad and radical Islam still pose a threat and are continuing to plan and commit terror attacks around the world, mostly focused in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, according to the NSC. Earlier this month, Islamic State killed over 130 people and injured dozens more in a terror attack in Moscow .

Antisemitism and the extreme Right still pose a threat to Israelis and Jews around the world, and there has been a significant increase in incitement against them in recent months, it reported. Jewish institutions and communities are a central target for these organizations, especially during holidays.

The NSC also published recommendations for Israelis to make themselves safer during travel abroad. They recommend that travelers avoid crowded areas such as malls and markets, as well as areas that are recognized as being Jewish or Western; staying alert in public places including restaurants, hotels and bars; avoiding showing signs of Israeli nationality in public; participating in mass events that do not have security; and avoiding publishing details of travel on social networks, including photos or details from trips in real time.

The NSC reminds travelers to avoid traveling to countries with high risk levels whenever possible. Travel advisories can be reviewed online.

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Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills

Former President Donald Trump, now the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad.

FILE - President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church across Lafayette Park from the White House, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House. The presumptive Republican nominee released a video on his Truth Social platform Tuesday urging his supporters to purchase the “God Bless The USA Bible.” (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House.

Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday urging his supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.

“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote, directing his supporters to a website selling the book for $59.99.

The effort comes as Trump has faced a serious money crunch amid mounting legal bills while he fights four criminal indictments along with a series of civil charges. Trump was given a reprieve Monday when a New York appeals court agreed to hold off on collecting the more than $454 million he owes following a civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. Trump has already posted a $92 million bond in connection with defamation cases brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll , who accused Trump of sexual assault.

“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in the video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”

Billing itself as “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump!” the new venture’s website calls it “Easy-to-read” with “large print” and a “slim design” that “invites you to explore God’s Word anywhere, any time.”

Besides a King James Version translation, it includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as a handwritten chorus of the famous Greenwood song.

The Bible is just the latest commercial venture that Trump has pursued while campaigning.

Last month, he debuted a new line of Trump-branded sneakers , including $399 gold “Never Surrender High-Tops,” at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia. The venture behind the shoes, 45Footwear, also sells other Trump-branded footwear, cologne and perfume.

Trump has also dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.

Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit. You can track all of the cases here .

He has also released books featuring photos of his time in office and letters written to him through the years.

The Bible’s website states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.”

“GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” it says.

Instead, it says, “GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure, has a similar arrangement with 45Footwear, which also says it uses Trump’s “name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.”

A Trump spokesperson and God Bless the USA Bible did not immediately respond to questions about how much Trump was paid for the licensing deal or stands to make from each book sale.

Trump remains deeply popular with white evangelical Christians , who are among his most ardent supporters, even though the thrice-married former reality TV star has a long history of behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.

When he was running in 2016, Trump raised eyebrows when he cited “Two Corinthians” at Liberty University, instead of the standard “Second Corinthians.”

When asked to share his favorite Bible verse in an interview with Bloomberg Politics in 2015, he demurred.

“I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,” he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.”

When he was president, law enforcement officers aggressively removed racial justice protesters from a park near the White House, allowing Trump to walk to nearby St. John’s Church, where he stood alone and raised a Bible. The scene was condemned at the time by the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Before he ran for office, Trump famously hawked everything from frozen steaks to vodka to a venture named Trump University, which was later sued for fraud .

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‘A Lot of Chaos’: Bridge Collapse Creates Upheaval at Largest U.S. Port for Car Trade

A bridge collapse closed Baltimore’s port, an important trade hub that ranks first in the nation by the volume of automobiles and light trucks it handles.

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Shipping in the Port of Baltimore

Monthly cargo handled by the Port of Baltimore

By Peter Eavis and Jenny Gross

• March 26, 2024

The Baltimore bridge disaster on Tuesday upended operations at one of the nation’s busiest ports, with disruptions likely to be felt for weeks by companies shipping goods in and out of the country — and possibly by consumers as well.

The upheaval will be especially notable for auto makers and coal producers for whom Baltimore has become one of the most vital shipping destinations in the United States.

As officials began to investigate why a nearly 1,000-foot cargo ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the middle of the night, companies that transport goods to suppliers and stores scrambled to get trucks to the other East Coast ports receiving goods diverted from Baltimore. Ships sat idle elsewhere, unsure where and when to dock.

“It’s going to cause a lot of chaos,” said Paul Brashier, vice president for drayage and intermodal at ITS Logistics.

The closure of the Port of Baltimore is the latest hit to global supply chains, which have been strained by monthslong crises at the Panama Canal, which has had to slash traffic because of low water levels; and the Suez Canal, which shipping companies are avoiding because of attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the Red Sea.

The auto industry now faces new supply headaches.

Last year, 570,000 vehicles were imported through Baltimore, according to Sina Golara, an assistant professor of supply chain management at Georgia State University. “That’s a huge amount,” he said, equivalent to nearly a quarter of the current inventory of new cars in the United States.

The Baltimore port handled a record amount of foreign cargo last year, and it was the 17th biggest port in the nation overall in 2021, ranked by total tons, according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Baltimore Ranks in the Top 20 U.S. Ports

Total trade in 2021 in millions of tons

Baltimore ranks first in the United States for the volume of automobiles and light trucks it handles, and for vessels that carry wheeled cargo, including farm and construction machinery, according to a statement by Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland last month.

The incident is another stark reminder of the vulnerability of the supply chains that transport consumer products and commodities around the world.

The extent of the disruption depends on how long it takes to reopen shipping channels into the port of Baltimore. Experts estimate it could take several weeks.

Baltimore is not a leading port for container ships, and other ports can likely absorb traffic that was headed to Baltimore, industry officials said.

Stephen Edwards, the chief executive of the Port of Virginia, said it was expecting a vessel on Tuesday that was previously bound for Baltimore, and that others would soon follow. “Between New York and Virginia, we have sufficient capacity to handle all this cargo,” Mr. Edwards said, referring to container ships.

“Shipping companies are very agile,” said Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a professor in the department of maritime business administration at Texas A&M University-Galveston. “In two to three days, it will be rerouted.”

But other types of cargo could remain snarled.

Alexis Ellender, a global analyst at Kpler, a commodities analytics firm, said he expected the port closure to cause significant disruption of U.S. exports of coal. Last year, about 23 million metric tons of coal exports were shipped from the port of Baltimore, about a quarter of all seaborne U.S. coal shipments. About 12 vessel had been expected to leave the port of Baltimore in the next week or so carrying coal, according to Kpler.

He noted that it would not make a huge dent on the global market, but he added that “the impact is significant for the U.S. in terms of loss of export capacity.”

“You may see coal cargoes coming from the mines being rerouted to other ports instead,” he said, with a port in Norfolk, Va., the most likely.

If auto imports are reduced by Baltimore’s closure, inventories could run low, particularly for models that are in high demand.

“We are initiating discussions with our various transportation providers on contingency plans to ensure an uninterrupted flow of vehicles to our customers and will continue to carefully monitor this situation,” Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, said in a statement.

Other ports have the capacity to import cars, but there may not be enough car transporters at those ports to handle the new traffic.

“You have to make sure the capacity exists all the way in the supply chain — all the way to the dealership,” said Mr. Golara, the Georgia State professor.

A looming battle is insurance payouts, once legal liability is determined. The size of the payout from the insurer is likely to be significant and will depend on factors including the value of the bridge, the scale of loss of life compensation owed to families of people who died, the damage to the vessel and disruption to the port.

The ship’s insurer, Britannia P&I Club, part of a global group of insurers, said in a statement that it was “working closely with the ship manager and relevant authorities to establish the facts and to help ensure that this situation is dealt with quickly and professionally.”

The port has also increasingly catered to large container ships like the Dali, the 948-foot-long cargo vessel carrying goods for the shipping giant Maersk that hit a pillar of the bridge around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The Dali had spent two days in Baltimore’s port before setting off toward the 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Bridge.

State-owned terminals, managed by the Maryland Port Administration, and privately owned terminals in Baltimore transported a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo in 2023, worth $80 billion.

Materials transported in large volumes through the city’s port include coal, coffee and sugar. It was the ninth-busiest port in the nation last year for receiving foreign cargo, in terms of volume and value.

The bridge’s collapse will also disrupt cruises traveling in and out of Baltimore. Norwegian Cruise Line last year began a new fall and winter schedule calling at the Port of Baltimore.

An earlier version of this article misstated the Port of Baltimore’s rank among U.S. ports. It was the nation’s 17th biggest port by total tons in 2021, not the 20th largest.

How we handle corrections

Peter Eavis reports on business, financial markets, the economy and companies across different sectors. More about Peter Eavis

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

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