It is estimated by the ministry of tourism that around 40,000 tourists are currently in Israel, unable to return home. For many, it’s their first time experiencing war firsthand. The uncertainty of when they’ll be able to leave the country is taking a toll.
Even once the skies reopen, it may still be difficult to secure a flight, as demand is expected to be high. The ministry has launched a 24/7 virtual office offering information services via digital channels in both Hebrew and English. It is also working with hotels and other accommodation providers to support tourists during this time.
A Tourism Ministry spokesperson said that they are trying to help tourists, presenting them with currently available options for foreign passport holders to leave Israel via land border crossings via Jordan and Egypt, which have remained open.
Daphne Roth from San Diego had planned to return to the U.S. on June 30 but now is considering to travel to Jordan and book a flight from there back home.
“This was a great vacation until the war began,” said Roth. “It’s my third time in Israel. My husband’s family lives here. I always want to stay longer, but this time I can’t wait to leave. It’s nerve-racking and pretty sad. A missile fell not far from the apartment we’re staying at in Bat Yam and destroyed the building. People who didn’t go to the bomb shelter or didn’t have one got killed. This war is the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Chava Arviv, an Israeli-American who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two adult children, arrived in Israel for a family wedding on May 18. She was scheduled to return on June 15, but her El Al flight was canceled.
“I’ve lived in LA for 35 years and had never experienced going to a bomb shelter,” she said in a phone interview from her mother’s home. “I’m totally stressed out. I feel frustrated and sad to see my country in ruins. I can’t sleep at night because the alerts on my phone keep waking me up to go to the shelter. My mother doesn’t have one in her apartment, so we have to go downstairs to the building’s basement.”
Arviv’s mother is elderly and unable to walk quickly, which means every trip to the bomb shelter puts them at risk.
“In a way, I’m glad I’m here and can help her,” she said. “We considered moving to a hotel with easier access to a shelter, but it would be too costly.”
Ilana Hadar had rented an apartment near the beach in Tel Aviv for the entire month. “I planned to relax by the sea, meet up with friends, and travel around—but everything changed,” she said. “I’ve started sleeping in the mamad [reinforced security room] so I don’t keep getting jolted awake at night. I even invited friends over to hang out there. I’m not letting this war ruin my trip. I don’t regret coming—I just pray it ends soon.”
Among those stuck in Israel are also students and young adults from the U.S. and other countries who came to Israel on Birthright trips. They too are spending their vacations moving between hotel rooms and bomb shelters
Daisy Lauren Marmur, 20, arrived in Israel with Birthright Excel, a program designed to cultivate the next generation of Jewish business leaders. She is one of 80 international fellows joined by 80 Israeli peers, working with startups and large companies across Israel to gain leadership skills.
“I arrived on June 8 and began the program on June 9. The war began a few days after,” said Marmur.
The first siren alerting the group that there is a missile arriving from Iran, caught them while they were on a trip to the Northern part of Israel. The first siren woke them in the middle of the night.
“Our roommates were IDF soldiers and they knew exactly what to do and where the safety shelters were, which I was very grateful for,” said Marmur. “Even though they explained to us what to do if something like that happens, you are not always ready.
I had never felt closer than I do now to the people I was inside the bomb shelter with and that were looking out for me.”
Around 2,800 young adults remain in Israel following the conclusion of their 10-day Birthright trips, the organization said. Birthright provides free educational tours to the country for Jewish youth from around the world.
In a public statement, Birthright Israel reassured that all groups currently in the country are safe and remain in areas with access to secure shelters. Programs scheduled through July 10 have been suspended until further notice.
As we went to press, on June 17, Birthright Israel launched an unprecedented operation, transporting around 1,500 participants from Ashdod to Larnaca, Cyprus aboard the Crown Iris cruise ship. Escorted by the Israeli Navy, the 13-hour voyage marked the beginning of a broader effort to repatriate nearly 2,800 international participants, mainly from the US, back home.
From Cyprus, U.S. participants will be flown to Tampa, Florida on planes chartered by the State of Florida, while others will return home via separate arrangements.
The situation has disrupted more than just Birthright. The summer months typically mark a high season for tourism in Israel, and as news of the strikes broke early Friday, organizers across the country scrambled to adapt plans for student missions, educational tours, and other visiting delegations now caught in a fast-moving geopolitical crisis.
Interestingly, all the tourists interviewed for this story said they would consider returning to Israel once the situation stabilizes.
Rachel Shor, 24, made her second trip to Israel this summer—her first was with Birthright five years ago. “Five days after I landed, the war broke out,” said the Los Angeles native. “At first, I was scared when the sirens started, but I got used to it. It’s not easy waking up and running to a shelter, but I was struck by the spirit of the people here. One night, someone brought a guitar, and everyone started singing together in the shelter—it was beautiful.”
Shor said her parents back home are worried and urging her to return. “I think it feels scarier from afar, watching the news. The shelters are safe, and I haven’t felt in danger, but there’s really no point in continuing my trip right now. I hope to come back when things are more peaceful—Israel is an incredible place with amazing people.”
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