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Is it safe for an American to visit Jerusalem?

Israel – Reconsider Travel Reconsider travel due to terrorism and civil unrest. U.S. government employees are currently restricted from personal travel other than mission-critical travel.



As of March 2026, the U.S. Department of State has issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" or "Level 3: Reconsider Travel" advisory for Israel and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Due to the significant escalation of regional conflict and the launch of U.S. combat operations in the Middle East in late February 2026, the security situation in Jerusalem is considered highly unpredictable. On March 3, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is officially closed, and Ben Gurion Airport has experienced significant disruptions and closures. U.S. government personnel have been directed to "shelter in place," and there is a heightened risk of rocket fire, civil unrest, and terrorist attacks. While parts of Jerusalem may appear calm, "red alert" sirens can occur without warning, and the ability of the U.S. government to provide emergency services to citizens is extremely limited at this time. Most travelers are being advised to defer all non-essential travel to the region until the current military tensions subside and commercial flight operations are fully and safely restored.

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We now advise do not travel to the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) due to the volatile security situation. The security situation in the West Bank is unpredictable, with continuing tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians. This includes tourist destinations such as Bethlehem, Jericho and Ramallah.

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Crossing over to Bethlehem is pretty safe for tourists. The town is a big attraction and the Palestinian authorities go to great lengths to make it safe to visit. You just need to bring their passport with an Israeli-issued tourist visa to enter and exit the Palestinian areas.

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Current travel warnings as of September 2023 The US State Department does not advise tourists against traveling to Israel.

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Tel Aviv is actually very safe when it comes to crime figures. There is pretty much zero gun crime and you're very unlikely to get mugged anywhere. Violent crime in general is very rare. It's practically unheard of for anyone to be the victim of anything like that as a tourist.

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Latest update. Latest update:We've reviewed our travel advice for Italy and continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Temporary border checks have been introduced at Italy's borders with Slovenia.

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