Warning to Israelis: Stop visiting Iraq

Counter-Terrorism Division issues travel advisory after noticing growing trend of Jewish immigrants originally from Iraq and Kurdistan returning to visit their birthplaces

Lilach Shoval
Published: 02.13.07, 19:39 / Israel News

The National Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Division issued a travel advisory Tuesday calling on Israelis not to visit Iraq.

The division recently noticed a growing trend of Israelis originally from Iraq and Kurdistan returning to visit their birthplaces.

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According to the Counter-Terrorism Division, the threat level in Iraq was concrete and very high.

The division noted that there was a daily death toll in Iraq of dozens of civilians, locals and foreigners alike.

Brigadier General (Res.) Elkana Har-Nof of the Counter-Terrorism Division said many Israelis were not concerned by the warnings, and the number of Israeli visitors to Iraq has risen significantly in recent months.

Aside from Israelis of Iraqi origin, many Israeli businessmen travel illegally to the war-torn country to invest in the Iraqi stock market.

“Israeli businessmen are an attractive target for terror organizations,” Har-Nof explained. “Traveling to Iraq is a very high an immediate risk. We are responsible for all Israeli citizens, and we hope that boosting the warning will discourage Israelis from going to Iraq.”

Goa, Turkey advisories lifted

Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Division cancelled its travel advisories to Turkey and to the Goa region of India, a popular destination for Israeli backpackers.

The warning against visiting the

Sinai Peninsula in Egypt was still in place, however.

The threat of Israelis being kidnapped was most severe, and visitors to Sinai were advised to leave immediately, Har-Nof said.