Just before the Jewish High Holidays, the National Security Council is publicizing its latest terrorism threat assessment for Israelis traveling abroad. The goal is to increase the Israeli public’s awareness of potential terrorist threats in various places around the world and encourage the public to take preventative measures.
To be clear, the NSC is not issuing new travel warnings. Rather, it is updating regarding the identified main trends of terrorist organizations and their activities around the world and the level of threat posed to Israelis abroad.
Recently, the NSC has identified continued efforts by terrorist organizations, led predominantly by Iran and Hamas, to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets. Dozens of attacks have already been prevented. However, in the past six months, several blatant incidents of violent physical assault and terrorist activity have been documented, alongside verbal antisemitism and incitement on social media.
As the Swords of Iron war continues, alongside the increasing threat of terrorism, the NSC has identified a deteriorating trend of increased violent antisemitic incidents and escalating steps by anti-Israeli groups, including attempts to physical harm Israelis and Jews abroad. This is due to the anti-Israel narrative and negative media campaign being waged by pro-Palestinian groups. This trend may encourage and motivate extremist elements to carry out terrorist attacks against Israelis or Jews abroad.
Main trends:
Iran continues to be the main backer of terrorism against Israelis and Jews around the world, both directly and through its proxies. Iran is increasingly motivated by retaliation following being strongly hit during Operation Rising Lion. During the past year alone, dozens of Iranian planned terrorist attacks directed were thwarted, including against Israeli missions abroad, former Israeli officials and various Israeli and Jewish targets.
At the same time, Hamas is also expanding its own activities beyond the war in Gaza to establish terrorist infrastructure and carry out terrorist attacks against Jews and Israelis abroad.
In addition to the threat posed by local or lone attackers, global jihadist and radical Islamist organizations, such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups around the world, continue to pose a threat, calling on supporters to attack Jewish and Israeli targets around the world.
Global jihadist groups are prominent in African countries, (the Horn of Africa, the Sahel region and central African countries) as well as in Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Kashmir region in India and Indonesia), while also trying to carry out an attack in European and Middle Eastern countries.
The NSC reiterates that a Level 4 travel warning constituting a severe threat has been issued for the Sinai Peninsula. Travel to the area should be avoided, especially the Sinai coast.
The NSC’s assessment is that the second anniversary of the October 7th attack could be a significant milestone for terrorist organizations, especially for Hamas and radical Islamist groups. There may be increased efforts around this date to carry out attacks against Israeli or Jewish targets abroad, either by a planned terrorist attack or by local or lone attackers.
Various terrorist actors (Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, global jihadists) remain active and are very interested in carrying out a variety of attacks against Israelis and Jews around the world as fighting in Gaza continues and the anti-Israeli climate abroad worsens.
Given the above, the NSC is reemphasizing its recommendations and calling on the Israeli public to act responsibly while traveling abroad, to check the NSC’s travel warnings before purchasing tickets to a destination and to heed travel warning recommendations and be aware of the threat level in the destination country. This past year proved that these warnings are well-founded and reflect a real potential threat.
The NSC advises adhering closely to its recommendations as they appear on the NSC website, and in particular:
A. Get to know the destination country you are planning to travel to, such as its population composition, the security situation and type of regime.
B. Avoid displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols in public.
C. Avoid speaking in Hebrew in public places.
D. Avoid going to large events which do not offer security protection.
E. Avoid traveling to isolated areas without a sufficient local security presence.
F. Get in advance the telephone numbers of emergency services at your destination (security and medical services) and the number of the Israeli embassy there (if there is one).
G. Stay alert while traveling, pay attention to your surroundings.
H. Stay away from protests and demonstrations.
I. Avoid discussing military or reserve service or about the security situation in Israel with unfamiliar individuals. It is also recommended to limit, hide or remove social media content referring to military or security service, including in the IDF, and avoid posting any related content.
The NSC reiterates the risks in posting or sharing content on social media, including Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, etc., especially regarding service in Israeli security (active military duty, reserves, etc.). Such activity increases the risk of being identified by various groups as a potential target. Therefore, the NSC recommends not to upload to social media content showing military or security service, operational activity or similar content, or real-time locations.
The NSC also wishes to underscore the possible danger of being lured and kidnapped. Be wary of anyone unfamiliar who tries to make any type of contact with you, especially online and for those who do most of their business abroad.
The NSC stresses the importance of refraining from travel to the following countries, in light of the real life-threatening danger facing Israelis in these places:
a. Iraq, including Iraqi Kurdistan (travel is forbidden by law)
b. Yemen (travel is forbidden by law)
c. Iran (travel is forbidden by law)
d. Syria (travel is forbidden by law)
e. Lebanon (travel is forbidden by law)
f. Saudi Arabia (travel is limited by law)
g. Bangladesh
h. Somalia
i. Pakistan
j. Afghanistan
k. Libya
l. Algeria
m. Jordan
n. Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula
o. Turkey
To clarify, if you are concerned that you have been exposed to a terrorist threat while abroad, you must first inform the local security forces in the country where you are staying and then contact the NSC’s Travel Warning 24/7 hotline, at +972-2-6667444.
For updates or if you have questions relating to terrorist threats against Israelis, please contact the NSC’s Travel Warning 24/7 hotline, at +972-2-6667444.
For other matters, such as health services, consular issues, crimes related personal security or antisemitism, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 24/7 hotline, at +972-2-5303155.
Below are some recent examples that highlight the deteriorating threat against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad, both by organized terrorist elements and local and lone attackers.
January 2025 – During New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans, USA a Muslim terrorist inspired by ISIS ran over dozens of people. In Australia, a bombing against Jewish targets in the country was foiled when a local happened to come across a trailer full of explosives and addresses of Jewish targets. This occurred against the backdrop of growing antisemitism in the country.
February 2025 – An Israeli couple leaving a restaurant in Athens, Greece was attacked by two people speaking Arabic. A man of Syrian origin carried out a stabbing attack at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany with the aim of killing Jews.
March 2025 – A rabbi was attacked in France and an arson attempt was made at a kosher pizzeria in Spain.
April 2025 – In Spain, three men of Lebanese origin were arrested on suspicion of working for Hezbollah and conducting terrorist activity. In Pennsylvania, USA, the Jewish governor’s official residence was set on fire after the Passover seder.
May 2025 – Two Israeli embassy employees were shot dead in Washington DC., USA. In Istanbul, Turkey shots were fired at the Israeli consulate. Seven Iranians were arrested in the UK on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks against Israeli individuals and missions as well as Jewish institutions. On the night of May 30th, antisemitic acts of vandalism were committed at several Jewish sites in Paris.
June 2025 – An Egyptian immigrant with a Molotov cocktail murdered a woman and injured 16 participants at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado, USA. In Cyprus, a man linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was arrested for planning an attack, apparently against Israeli targets.
July 2025 – A crowded synagogue in Australia was set on fire (the worshippers fled) the same week that an Israeli restaurant was attacked by pro-Palestinians in the country. A group of yeshiva students were attacked by a Muslim man in Switzerland. In Greece, several teenagers were attacked by a large group of pro-Palestinians and an Israeli tourist was attacked by a Syrian immigrant on a beach near Athens.
August 2025 – An Israeli family was attacked at the De Kempervennen holiday village in the Netherlands, by Dutch citizens of Arab origin, resulting in four injuries, two of which required hospitalization. In Sri Lanka, five Israelis were violently attacked by pro-Palestinian
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