Israel issues travel warning for the Netherlands and other European countries

The Israeli Security Council updated its travel advisories for 80 countries on Monday, citing increasing dangers for Israelis abroad. This includes the Netherlands, now listed among countries with heightened threats, similar to many in Western Europe.

The Security Council uses a four-level scale, ranging from a safe level 1 to a severely dangerous level 4. The travel advisory for the Netherlands has been raised from level 1 to level 2, and Israelis are advised to exercise increased caution. The travel warning for the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Belgium has also been raised to level 2.

The advisory for several countries in Africa and Central Asia has been raised to level 3, with a recommendation to reconsider non-essential travel. Several countries in North Africa and the Middle East have been raised to level 4.

“Since the beginning of the war, we have identified increased efforts by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas and Global Jihad factions, to harm Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. At the same time, there is a constant and significant rise in incitement, attempted attacks and manifestations of antisemitism in many countries,” the Security Council wrote in a statement.

As a consequence, the Security Council is advising Israelis to reconsider traveling abroad. For those traveling, the Council notably recommends avoiding protests, not openly displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols, and staying away from Israeli and Jewish gatherings.

There has been an increase in anti-Semitism incidents in the Netherlands since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI) in November. Two weeks ago, the Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema also stated there has been an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the Dutch capital and growing hatred towards Muslims since the Hamas attack on Israel.