Israelis traveling to Goa despite warning
El-Al flight 071 on its way to India, from where many of its passengers will continue on to Goa despite warning of al-Qaeda intentions to carry out massive terror attack. 'This entire country is built on warnings. You learn to live with it,' says Itai Jarfi from Ramat Gan. World terrorist expert clarifies: Warning seems very concrete, Goa attractive target
It turns out that the Israelis, who are accustomed to the incessant security warnings at home, aren't fazed by the warning put out by the Foreign Ministry and National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Division and already have their minds set on celebrating New Year's Eve on the beaches of western India.
The Foreign Ministry reported, "The information has been passed on to Israeli representatives in India and Asia, and there is a request to distribute the information to centers in which Israelis are staying."
The Foreign Ministry and National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Division issued a travel warning to Israeli travelers visiting Goa within the next two weeks.
No signs of tension (Photo: Avigail Uzi)
“In the upcoming weeks travelers to Goa are under serious threat of terror attacks by al-Qaeda,” the ministry warning said.
Brigadier-General Elkanah Har-nof from the Counter-Terrorism Division referred in a conversation of Ynet to the severity of the threat: "The threat is very serious and is based on information that has been gathered in recent months. There are plans to carry out a mass-casualty terror attack during New Year's events."
Itai Jarfi from Ramat Gan decided a month ago to travel to Goa, and does not intend to change plans at this point. According to him, he was a combat soldier and he is accustomed to hearing various warnings, but in most cases nothing came of them.
"I don’t see myself changing routes because of terrorism," he said. "Also in Israel there were many warnings about Sinai and Israelis decided to travel there in any case. This entire country is built on warnings. We learn to live with it. We are an impervious nation."
Chen Tzimblista is flying for only three days in order to take part in a music project that has been in the works for a long time.
"This is a project that has been planned for a few years and you don't just give up on it like htat. I don't think that terrorism needs to stop everything. Even when there was shelling in the north, I went to play in the shelters. I am a little scared, but believe that the Holy One, blessed be He, is protecting us," Chen believes.
In contrast, Nisan Miara from Tel Aviv won't travel to Goa. He will be traveling to India for a few months, but has already decided he won't be visiting the beautiful beaches of Goa.
"It is a dangerous place with a lot of drugs, and I don't want to be there. I am going to quiet places," he said, adding that if he was hesitant about going to Goa in the first place, the security warning sealed his decision that he will not be going there.
An attractive target
Dr. Eli Karmon, an international terrorism expert from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, said, "The warning from the Counter-Terrorism Division seems very concrete."
According to him, India is a very active arena for terrorist organizations from Pakistan that are linked to al-Qaeda, and that in recent years there were a number of significant attacks in the state, including the terror attack on July 4 in the Mumbai train station. In addition, there were attacks in New Delhi and Kashmir, a disputed area between Pakistan and India.
In regards to Goa, Dr. Karmon said that the FBI sent a security warning to the Indian authorities a few months ago in regards to threats that terrorists were planning to hijack planes. In response, Indian police raised alert levels.
Dr. Karmon claims that the warning against Israelis is very logical since Israel, as well as India, is perceived as allies with the US and the Western world.
Karmon asserted, "Targeting tourist sites is a common occurrence for Islamic organizations, and we are familiar with this from many attacks. On one hand, these are relatively easy attacks to carry out. On the other hand, they cause economic and perceptive damages.
"Since it is well-known that there are many Israeli tourists in Goa, and that a large part of them are after the army, a fact symbolizing an Israeli spirit, raises the attractiveness of the target. It must be remembered that there was already an attack in Kashmir in 1994 during which Israelis fought with the terrorists and one of them was even killed," Dr. Karmon explained.
