Thousands of Israelis vacation in Jordan despite simmering political tensions

Over 9,000 Israeli tourists entered Jordan during Passover despite Hashemite Kingdom's condemnation of Israel over Temple Mount unrest; 'People here are super-nice, there is a crazy sense of security,' says one Israeli tourist

Daniel Salami|
Thousands of Israeli tourists chose to go on vacation in Jordan during Passover, despite the ongoing political fallout with the Hashemite Kingdom.
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  • More than 9,000 Israeli tourists entered Jordan during the holiday through the two countries’ shared land crossings, as well as via the extremely crowded Ben Gurion Airport.
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    מעבר גבול עקבה בחול המועד
    מעבר גבול עקבה בחול המועד
    The Wadi Araba Crossing
    (Photo: Charlie Yishai)
    One of the vacationers is Adva Levochkin, who is currently in Jordan with her husband and two daughters.
    "There is no fear and there never has been. There are lots and lots of Israelis with us in the hotel, and they will all tell you the same thing,” Levochkin said.
    “We always go back to the same hotel because it is inside an enclosed and secure perimeter. There is no sense of hostility or insecurity, at no point did we feel that way.”
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    אדוה לבוצ'קין ומשפחתה בעקבה
    אדוה לבוצ'קין ומשפחתה בעקבה
    Adva Levochkin near the Wadi Araba Crossing
    (Photo: Courtesy)
    Inbal and Shalev, who are currently touring Jordan's Red City of Petra, said: "People here are super-nice, there is a crazy sense of security. The travel agent picked us up from the airport and took care of everything for us."
    While many Israelis chose to spend the holiday in Jordan, many chose to cancel their trip in opposition to the neighboring kingdom’s condemnation of Israel over the Temple Mount riots, during which security forces clashed with Palestinian rioters and some 476 of them were arrested.
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    התפרעויות בהר הבית
    התפרעויות בהר הבית
    Security forces on the Temple Mount during the Palestinian riots
    (Photo: Reuters)
    “We have been to Jordan several times and really enjoyed it. We thought of traveling, but we chose to vote with our feet and not go,” one online user wrote.
    Despite the tense situation, Israel has not issued a travel warning to Jordan, meaning that as far as the Jewish State is concerned, there is no threat to Israelis vacationing in the Hashemite Kingdom.
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