ISRAEL ; HOW SAFE ??
 

Have always wanted to travel to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. What is the opinion of safety of those that have travelled there ??

Hi nygvic, I'm sure you will receive many opinions here.

I wanted to mention that we're currently running a "Show Us Your Israel" photo contest and we have some photos entered by members so far displayed in a slideshow. I thought it might interest you.

http://www.fodors.com/contest/israel/entries.html

If you mean safe from terrorists, the security in Israel is very good and the risks are minimal.

If you mean violent crime, the risk is probably lower than most American cities.

Do come, you won't regret it!

I had similar concerns and for years I postponed my lifelong dream of seeing Israel. About 2 years ago a poster on this board told my to just go, and I did. It was magical and everything I ever dreamed it would be. As far as safety goes, by the end of the first day I could see that my fears were unfounded and I never felt unsafe. I even went into the Palestinian West Bank to see Bethelehem and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Yes, it's safe to visit Israel, and I urge you to just GO!!

Safe enough for a woman to walk alone, for children to play outside without adults watching.

Living in San Francisco, it was a major shock for me to see small kids walking (running, skipping) home from school BY THEMSELVES!!

If you're driving, confirm at the hotel's front desk if the road is safe, you will not be welcome everywhere.

My wife and I just returned from 10 days in Israel visiting 9 destibations ibcluding Haifa,Golan, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and there was no concern at all except I must admit we we avoided parts of Old Jerusalem after 10-19:30 but not because we were told to. We had no concerns. Obviously going near Gaza may be unwise regardless of yiour religious affiliation.

Obviously there are always concerns in an area that has suffered from so much unrest, but one thing I remember from my trip was how well trained the security forces were. However, my trip was years and years ago, so I can't speak to any specific concerns, I'm just sharing a story...

At one point our taxicab driver (who mistakenly thought we were a TV crew) drove up with a self-conscious flourish and inadvertently ended up depositing us in between the prime minister and his security forces. They circled us instantly, but no one shot us! And the whole incident was cleared up in 5 minutes with no one being roughed up or detained. So knowing that they were not trigger happy made me much more comfortable with the sight of so many sub-machine guns around.

Of course, a terrorist event can still happen, but I believe that the number of tourists who end up injured/killed is quite low.

Nygvic,

You're far safer there than in any populous area in the US and many other countries. The Israelis do not fool around when it comes to security! The city streets are lively and full of people day and night. As with any place, one avoids the out-of-the-way locations after dark and uses common sense.

Might a car bomb explode while you're sipping espresso at an outdoor cafe? I suppose, but the odds of you dying in a car accident at home are probably far greater. Go on your dream trip - you will not be disappointed!