Is is safe to travel to Israel?

Is it safe to travel to Israel?

That's the number one question/concern that I get when I talk to people about visiting the Holy Land.

In general, I have to say, "Yes, very much so."

I recently returned from my second trip to Israel. Just two months before the trip an intense conflict between Israel and Gaza was raging. Hundreds of rockets were being fired into Israel every day.

The media like to focus on those conflicts, and it's easy to get a sense that the region is dangerous. In reality, the conflict is typically confined to a small area that is miles away from the major tourist areas.

Gaza is approximately 50 miles from Tel Aviv, home to Israel's international airport and the starting point for most visitors. Rockets fired from Gaza have reached the outskirts of the city, but have not reached into the city. (And don't forget that Israel's "Iron Dome" defense system shoots down a larger percentage of those rockets).

The bulk of Christian touring is done in the Galilee area, which has been completely removed from any danger in recent years.

The other hot area is Jerusalem. The Old City itself is divided into four quarters and tensions, especially in the Muslim Quarter, tend to flare.

During my recent visit, tensions were indeed flaring, especially in East Jerusalem. A shooting in the Old City even resulted in a brief closure of the Temple Mount.

The result for tourists - 1) We didn't hear about the shooting until the next morning even though we had spent that day on a walking tour of the Old City, and 2) Some tour operators adjusted their plans on the next day and visited other sites instead of spending time in the Old City. 3) Finally, two days later (a Saturday), we spent the entire day in the Old City shopping, even venturing into a busy and peaceful Muslim Quarter without incident or fear for our safety.

Tourism is a leading industry in Israel. The dollars spent are important to the Jewish and Muslim communities. The last thing any of them want to see is a tourist get injured or killed.

If you're thinking about going to Israel, consult with a knowledgeable travel agent with connections to experienced tour operators on the ground in Israel. They will have your best interests at heart.

Dan Panorama Tel Aviv

Dan is one of the most well-known hotel chains in Israel, offering four-star accommodations in numerous cities.

The Dan Panorama Tel Aviv is located in the southern part of the city and is across the street from the Mediterranean. Most rooms have small balconies with a view of the sea - a perfect place to watch the sunset (unless of course you're on the beach).

The breakfast and dinner buffets are ample.

Holyland Journey: First stop Jaffa

What a joy to take another group to Israel!

After a 10-hour flight from Newark, we landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv around 11 a.m.

The customs process went quickly and smoothly, and we met our tour guide in baggage claim.

We drove to the ancient port city of Jaffa for a brief walking tour. Jaffa, or Joppa, is the mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments. Jonah sailed from here, trying to avoid going to Nineveh. Cedar for King Solomon's Temple arrived in Jaffa. And Peter stayed with Simon the Tanner and saved Tabitha.

The town is now an artistic colony and offers great views of neighboring Tel Aviv.

New Bicycle Tours In Israel

Travelers and sport enthusiasts traveling to Israel can now experience the Christian holy sites in the Galilee and Jerusalem by riding one of the new "Biking the Path of Jesus" tours.

The 12-mile biking routes are available in two-day or week-long tours and depart from destinations in northern Israel, including Nazareth, the town of Jesus' birth, and travel through Mt. Carmel, Mt. Gilboa and Mt. Tabor to the rolling hills and olive groves surrounding Kibbutz Lavi. The two-day tour will leave from Kibbutz Lavi and travel through the Horns of Hattin fort to the Druze pilgrimage sight of Nebi Swe'be, and onto the Arbel Valley, Sea of Galilee and Capernaum. And for advanced cyclists, the week-long tour travels from Mt. Hermon in the north to Mt. Carmel near Haifa and through Caesarea, Jerusalem and Masada.

"The new bike tours around the Galilee are a new and innovative way to experience Christian holy sites in Israel," said Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, "and will provide some additional excitement for travelers arriving in the Holy Land this year."

The tours are available for beginner to mid-level riders and suitable for children, ages 13 and above.

Israel kicks off summer ad campaign

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is mounting an advertising campaign directed at North American Christians this summer, as part of its ongoing effort to increase the number of visitors to the land that is uniquely both "The Holy Land" as well as "The Jewish State."

The $1.5 million campaign will include print, radio and Internet messages in a variety of media reaching specific niche markets that include Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics. Separate advertising messages will be directed to Hispanic audiences. 

Evangelical ads

Tourism to Israel is breaking all records, with 2009, 2010 and 2011 the best years ever for travel to Israel, and with 2012 projected to show an additional 5% increase.

It is estimated that some 40% of American tourists to Israel are Christian travelers touring the Holy Land. The advertising messages will underscore the Ministry of Tourism's campaign theme "Visit Israel. You'll never be the same."

Tell us if you've seen some of the ads.

Gospel Trail opens in Israel

A new trail across northern Israel offers travelers the chance to walk — or trot — through New Testament sites in the footsteps of Jesus.

The newly opened Gospel Trail winds for 39 miles, heading south from Nazareth, across gentle green hills, through Jewish and Arab towns and down to Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus is said to have established his home base. The Tourism Ministry believes the new trail may attract up to 200,000 Christian pilgrims to northern Israel over the coming year.

On the Gospel Trail, tourists can ride toward the Sea of Galilee on horseback, accompanied by escorts from a nearby ranch wearing jeans, big belt buckles and embroidered cowboy boots with spurs. The scene feels more Texas than Gospel, especially because according to the New Testament, Jesus' mount of choice was a donkey. Horses were considered vehicles of war.

But as the horses canter to Capernaum, past the occasional grazing cow in a grassy pasture, with the sun setting over the distant hills of the Golan Heights, visitors can imagine for a moment that they have returned to the Holy Land of two millennia past.

The new Gospel Trail is a government project. It heads south out of Nazareth, beginning at Mount Precipice, where a mob nearly threw Jesus off a cliff after a sermon he made in a local synagogue. The summit provides sweeping views across the Galilee, from ancient Nazareth and down through the Jezreel Valley, today considered Israel's agricultural heartland. From there, the path goes to Mount Tabor, said to be the site of the Transfiguration, when Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah and became radiant, and God called him his son. Today, priests celebrate Mass in a Franciscan church with soaring ceilings and pristine white marble floors.

From there, the trail winds north, passing, in springtime, through a carpet of anemones and cyclamens. A side path, also marked, heads to Kfar Kana, where Jesus is said to have turned water into wine. Then the Gospel Trail passes double extinct volcanos known as the Horns of Hattin — famous as the site where Saladin's Muslim army defeated the Crusaders in 1187. Today a lone mosque stands as one of the few remainders of an abandoned Arab village on the site.

Nearby is the town of Migdal, named for the ancient town of Magdala, said to be home to Mary Magdalene. Farther north, at Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes commemorates when Jesus fed a multitude with only a handful of food. And finally, travelers pass by the Mount of Beatitudes before heading to Capernaum, where a charming pink-domed white church gives a European look to the lush green surroundings.

The Gospel Trail includes suggestions to take a boat across the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is said to have walked on water. The boats run between Capernaum and Kibbutz Ginosar, where marine archaeologists found and preserved a 2,000-year-old ancient fishing boat. Another boat route runs to Tiberias, a town dating back to 20 A.D.

All along the way, gas stations, quiet farming towns and luxurious guest houses offer places to recharge. The trail wends through picturesque Biblical landscapes and long stretches of neatly planted vegetables.

A variety of options already exist for travelers, from the Fauzi Azar Inn tucked into Nazareth's Old City, to the luxurious Scots Hotel in Tiberias. There are also country cottages outside Jewish towns, simple beds on farms and homestays in Arab villages. Camping is also easy in the many parks along the trail.

2012 Faith-Based Itineraries Unveiled

Globus, one of the first tour operators to feature faith-based tours, unveiled its 2012 lineup with eight itineraries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Two new offerings include "The European Reformation" and "Grand Catholic Italy." The Reformation itinerary includes 11 days in Germany with visits to Wittenberg, where Luther posted his 95 theses; Wartburg Castle, where he translated the Bible into German; and the Gutenberg Museum, where original copies of the Bible are on display. The trip also includes stops in Berlin and Munich as well as a day cruise on the Rhine River.

Globus continues the popular "Footsteps of the Apostle Paul" tour, which includes stops in Greece and Turkey, as well as the 10-day "Journey Through the Holy Land," where travelers literally walk where Jesus walked.

As a special incentive, Globus and Harmony Travel are offering 10% off 2012 bookings that are paid in full by Sept. 27.

Discover the ruins of Caesarea

Just north of Tel Aviv, the ancient Roman ruins of Caesarea are one of the top things to see outside of Jerusalem. Paul was imprisoned here before being sent to Rome for trial. Watch the video here.

First Jerusalem Marathon Slated for March 2011

After hosting an annual half marathon for nearly twenty years, Jerusalem is finally hosting its own full marathon next year, scheduled to take place March 25, 2011.

The Jerusalem International Marathon will offer both amateur and professional runners the unique experience of running through a landscape rich in history and heritage, with breathtaking views and inspirational scenery.


Participants will be able to choose between three marathon routes - a full, half or quarter marathon - starting at the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) Building and finishing at Sacher Park. All the routes take the runners through downtown Jerusalem and the Old City, passing by the Sultan's Pool, Jaffa Gate and Zion's Gate, the Jerusalem Theater, the President's Residence and stunning views of the
Old and New City from the Sherover Promenade. Those running the full marathon will also run past Ammunition Hill, Mount Scopus and Augustus Victoria.

Carmel Market in Tel Aviv

I didn't make it to this market, but I did get to the market in Jerusalem during my trip to Israel. What a great authentic experience.

Jaffa

The video series continues with a visit to the port city of Jaffa, which has been incorporated into Tel Aviv.

Dead Sea Video

Our friends at Performance Media Group have put together a series of videos about Israel that we'll post over the next few days. Here's video number one from the Dead Sea - yeah, we were there ourselves two years ago.

Faith-Based Travel

Globus was one of the first travel suppliers to offer tours specifically designed for faith-based travelers. We talked with Julie Petschler about their most popular tours and what's new for 2011.

Globus unveils 2011 religious vacations

Globus, one of the world's most respected tour operators and one of the first operators to embrace religious travel, has unveiled its 2011 religious vacation packages.

The company's 10-day Journey To The Holy Land tour is one of its most popular offerings. In 2011, Globus will add a 12-day tour that combines Israel, Jordan and Egypt.

Globus is one of Harmony Travel's preferred suppliers. Contact us for more information about a faith-based vacation that will fit your needs.

First Jesus-era house found in Nazareth

Archaeologists have discovered a house in Nazareth dating back to the time of Jesus.

Click here to read the story in USA Today.

had an Israel flashback during lunch. Falafel, humus, tabuli at a Mediterranean cafe behind Castleton Mall. Mmmm. Thanks, Ali.

Nazareth - bigger than we think?

USA Today had a very interesting article about Nazareth recently, including reference to the discovery of an ancient Roman bathhouse from the time of Jesus that leads some experts to believe the town was bigger than most people imagine.



As the author mentions, most tourists - and myself included from my visit last Fall - don't spend too much time in Nazareth - just enough to see the Church of the Annunciation.



This is an interesting read.



http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-27-nazareth-renaissance_N.htm

More "First Time in Israel"

The following is further information from fellow travel agent, David Cogswell, who is experiencing Israel for the first time (see Feb. 13 entry) - as I myself did just three months ago. My own reports of some of the things he writes about can be found in entries from November 2008. Here David hits the nail on the head when talking about the value of a good guide to truly paint a picture for you. My own guide, Shalom Langer, was also fantastic.



"Here in Israel, I am learning more in a day than I learned in weeks of classes during my formal education. Tour operators know that a large component of their product is education, though they dare not call it that. They keep any reference to the forbidden word out of their marketing material to avoid evoking their customers’ bad memories of being confined in straight rows of desks and being subjected to sleep-inducing lectures, dull textbooks and homework drudgery.
In fact, learning can be one of the most enjoyable experiences. And there is no better way to learn than travel, which engages all the senses and presents its subjects as parts of a fascinating whole. The things you learn while traveling are deposited in the marrow of your being where no one can take them from you.


I joined two groups of 20 on two motorcoaches, so there was plenty of room for each to have a double seat. The Red Group had its baggage and motorcoach identified with red dots, and the Green Group was identified with green. For some functions we were all together and for others we functioned as separate groups.


I was in the Green group. Our tour guide was Shmuel Hadar, who executed the diverse duties of a tour director admirably, keeping the group organized and entertained as we moved from place to place. As a teacher, he was a jewel. I found myself continually astounded by the range of his knowledge. Many years ago, after his stint in the Israeli military, he taught high school geography for several years. When a recession forced layoffs of the younger teachers, he took a job as a bus driver, which led eventually to a career as a tour guide.


To me, tour guides are the stars of the industry. For tour operators, the tour guide is the face of the company, the person who interacts with customers on the ground at the destination. I have found the standards of their performance to be impressive industry-wide. Shmuel (or “Shmuelly” as he was called) is certainly among the best. He is an effective leader who can rally 20 people together and keep them on schedule, often having to pull them reluctantly from a place they weren’t ready to leave.


He proved to be a spellbinding storyteller and was extremely knowledgeable about history, culture, religion and geology. Born in Egypt, he learned French as a child from his French-speaking mother. He also speaks Hebrew, Arabic and English. He was able to explain the lore of each site from the standpoint of Jews, Christians, Muslims or secularists who may be in any given group. He’s a tremendous asset to Isram and to anyone who wants to visit Israel in order to penetrate through the surfaces of what is flashing by.


On our second full day in Israel we rode up to the Mount of Olives where we could look out over the panorama of Jerusalem. There Shmuel pointed out the layout of the city, including the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian (Christian) quarters of the Old City; the great golden Dome of the Rock, the sacred mosque of Islam that dominates the skyline; and the seven onion-shaped domes of Russian Orthodox Church of Maria Magdalena. He gave us an overview of the vast and complex history of the area in relation to its present geography. He also described how the Roman emperor Hadrian leveled the city of Jerusalem in 72 A.D. after a Jewish revolt and combined its provinces of Judea and Philistia (of the Biblical Philistines) and called the combined area Provincia Philistia, which later evolved into the name Palestine.


We also visited the Garden of Gethsemane, the olive garden where Jesus spent the night in such anguish that “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground,” according to the Book of Luke, before he would be betrayed by a kiss from his disciple Judas and arrested by Roman soldiers. We went to the Western Wall, the only remaining portion of the Jewish Second Temple from 500 years B.C., which was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D. after the First Jewish-Roman War. It is considered the most sacred site of the Jewish people. The ruins of the temple now lie under the Islamic Dome of the Rock, which is considered by the Muslims to be the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven.


We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is believed to be the place where Jesus was crucified. It was teeming with visitors, including groups of Islamic schoolchildren, whose religious tradition also reveres Jesus. We went to Mount Zion and saw the Tomb of King David. Witnessing this sweeping panorama of historical and religious sites was dazzling, infusing the mind with so much information that it would take years to reflect upon and assimilate. The experience shattered many of the stereotypes and categorizations I had about Israel. Perhaps the most fascinating and lingering impression was the fact that, in spite of all the turmoil that we hear about in the area, all the various groups that lay claims to Jerusalem do in fact coexist most of the time in remarkable harmony."

First time in Israel

The following is an article I came across today by a fellow travel agent, David Cogswell, who is experiencing Israel for the first time - as I myself did just three months ago. My own reports of some of the things he writes about can be found in entries from November 2008.

"I’m crossing a major threshold on this trip, transforming from someone who has never been to Israel into one who has experienced it first hand. There is a huge gulf between having no direct experience of a place and being there even for a short time. In his book “L’imaginaire,” Jean Paul Sartre wrote of the fundamental difference between an event in imagination and an event in reality. Even if what you imagine is correct in practically every detail, having an actual experience of a place is fundamentally different from hearing about it, reading about it or seeing it in movies on TV. Mental images, Sartre said, are constantly breaking up and dissolving when they collide with real events.

That is exactly what is happening to me in Israel. After being here for 24 hours, most of what I previously thought I knew has dropped away or has been transformed to accommodate the real experience. There is no place where this contrast could be more striking than Israel, because it looms so largely in the imagination of humankind. The Judeo Christian tradition is one of the most powerful elements in Western Civilization.

From our earliest childhood we have heard stories and songs of David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, Cain and Abel. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all look to the Holy Land for their origins. Beyond those formative experiences, we are all exposed to the news, and though not much larger than New Jersey, Israel is always in the news.

I will be spending the next 10 days traveling around Israel to see it for myself. I’ve joined 40 travel agents in a Seminar at the Source sponsored by IsramWorld. The trip began for me at New York’s JFK airport with an 11:50 p.m. flight to Tel Aviv on El Al airlines. Ten hours later I was in Israel. With the seven-hour time difference it was around 5 p.m. when we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport. It was rainy, and by the time we got through customs and baggage claim, it was dark. Isram’s ground operation met us at the airport and took us to the famous King David hotel in Jerusalem, about a 35-minute drive.

The King David hotel (http://www.danhotels.com/) lives up to its reputation as an elegant, comfortable hotel, reassuring in its durability and imperturbability since 1931. Like most buildings in Jerusalem, it is built of Jerusalem Stone, a pinkish beige limestone. The King David, of course, has a colorful history. It is known for housing royalty, being a headquarters for governments in exile, and for being located at the center of many of the turbulent events of the 20th century.

On our first evening, we did a hotel inspection with our Isram seminar group and were treated to a fine feast at the David Citadel Hotel, the former Hyatt, not far from the King David. We started our tour of Israel in earnest on Wednesday morning with a trip to the Israel Museum, where we saw pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls and learned about their history. We also saw a model of Jerusalem in 66 A.D. before it was destroyed by the Romans. The model, about the size of a tennis court, is so detailed and amazingly intricate that you have to make a special note on your photographs to be clear you are looking at a model and not an actual city.

The most memorable experience of the day -- and really one of the most compelling museum experiences of my life -- was our visit to the Holocaust History Museum (http://www.yadvashem.org/). The complex includes several distinct buildings and monuments, including the Hall of Names, which pays tribute to many of the victims of The Holocaust, and The Children’s Monument, which is a dark chamber with a glass case housing five candles reflected with a complex construction glass and mirrors to multiply into thousands of sparks of light like stars. The most powerful part of the complex is the museum’s main exhibit, a vast collection of documents, films, photographs and grisly memorabilia tracing the horrific history of the Nazi’s attempted extermination of the Jewish people.

In a 4,200-square-meter building, the exhibition leads you through a zigzagged trail that depicts the most hideous chapter of history, presented with painstaking detail and graphic force from its earliest glimmers in the early 1930s, through the final destruction of the Nazi regime in 1945. Countless exhibits are on display, presented vividly with imagination and sensitivity. Early in the exhibit, for example, is footage of Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels addressing the mob at a 1933 book burning proclaiming, “The age of exorbitant Jewish intellectualism has come to an end. And the German revolution has cleared the way for the German nature in the world once more.” Posted on the exhibit is an ominously prophetic quote written in 1821 by German-Jewish poet Heinrich Heine: “Where books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned.”

The exhibit leads the viewer through the gradual tightening of the screws through Nazi legislation, beginning in April 1933 with the Law for Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, which dismissed all Jews from civil service jobs. It shows portraits of some of the chief Nazi perpetrators, filmed interviews with many of the survivors, and gives maps and descriptions of the Nazi system of death camps in excruciating detail. It would take days to go through the entire museum reading and listening to each piece. It was an exhausting, shocking experience, but one that should be a requirement for every educated person.

We ended the day with a trip to Bethlehem and a visit to the Church of the Nativity, which was said to be built over the stable and manger where Jesus was born. It was a long day’s journey and we had been in Israel for only a day."

Garden Tomb

Wednesday afternoon, we made three brief stops just outside the old city wall for visits to the Room of the Last Supper, King David's Tomb and Dormition Abbey before driving a bit to the Garden Tomb.

The Room of the Last Supper was very simple, undecorated room on the upper level of a church built by the Crusaders. I personally didn't find anything special about any of the three stops.

Our tour of the Holyland ended with a stop that we will all remember for the rest of our lives - the Garden Tomb.

While there are stops on the Via Dolorossa that commemorate possible sites of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection, the Garden Tomb is another site that could have been the site for all three. During excavations many years ago, archaeologists discovered a large rock in the side of a cliff that looks like a skull (Golgotha). According to the Bible, the place where Jesus was crucified was called Golgotha.

There is also evidence that the location was previously a garden. Later, a series of Jewish tombs (burial caves) were found here, including some for 'wealthier' individuals. Remember, a wealthy man, Joseph of Aramathea, offered up his burial tomb for Jesus.

Anyway, our guide gave us an excellent description of the site - which opposed to the iconic churches is indeed a very quiet and peaceful garden - and its ties to the Bible. As we listened to his powerful explanations, other groups nearby were holding worship services - singing hymns and partaking in communion. Our guide reminded us, 'Don't worry that the tomb is empty. He is risen,' and 'We don't worship a dead teacher, we worship a risen Saviour.'

We went down to an empty tomb.

It was a very emotional experience for all of us, and the ultimate way to end our tour of the Holyland.