The National Security Council is presenting the public with an overview of threats abroad ahead of the Tishrei holidays, with the aim of increasing vigilance and awareness among Israeli travelers. The NSC clarified that this is an updated summary of global intelligence and terrorism trends and their impact on various destinations, rather than the issuance of new travel warnings.
The security escalation and the ongoing campaign against Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and other actors have led to increased efforts to target Israelis beyond the country’s borders. Alongside operational attempts to carry out attacks, growing incitement on social media has led to a widespread increase in motivation to perpetrate terrorist attacks. The NSC identifies the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, which will be marked in October 2026, as a particularly sensitive period that could include violent demonstrations and targeted attempts to carry out attacks.
Iran and its proxies continue to constitute the primary source of the threat. Driven by a desire to retaliate for the blows it has suffered, Iran is employing terrorist networks and criminal elements to target diplomatic missions, members of the security forces, senior officials, Jewish community institutions and Israeli tourists. At the same time, Hezbollah, motivated by a desire to avenge the blows dealt to its leadership and the losses it has suffered in the fighting, poses a significant potential threat.
In Europe and elsewhere, Hamas is investing considerable resources in establishing terrorist infrastructure with the aim of carrying out high-profile and revenge attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets, alongside its ongoing efforts in Judea and Samaria and Gaza. Meanwhile, global jihadist organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda continue to issue direct calls for attacks against Jews. This threat is particularly pronounced in parts of Asia and Africa, but there is also a desire to carry out such attacks in European cities and the United States through lone attackers. At the same time, the Houthi rebels are calling for attacks against Israelis traveling to Somaliland and Africa, based on the perception that an Israeli presence in the region constitutes a threat.
Another worrying trend is the sharp rise in attacks by lone perpetrators. Since the outbreak of the war, 25 Israelis and Jews have been murdered in terrorist attacks abroad. The NSC explains that this is a decentralized and difficult-to-predict threat fueled by radicalization on social media, with attackers generally acting on their own initiative and targeting accessible “soft targets" such as large gatherings, houses of worship and community institutions.
This year, Jordan has also been included among the countries subject to the highest Level 4 travel warning, including a recommendation to avoid even making a stopover there.
At the same time, the NSC is urging Israelis to avoid openly displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols, such as kippahs or shirts with Hebrew writing, to refrain from posting their locations, and to pay increased attention to unusual activity near Chabad houses, synagogues and kosher restaurants, while remaining alert to suspicious individuals and objects.