Israel’s National Security Council warns of heightened threats abroad ahead of High Holidays

Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday published an updated assessment of threats to Israelis and Jewish communities overseas ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, advising heightened vigilance and urging avoidance of several destinations it classifies as highest-risk.

What the NSC said

The NSC framed the publication as an updated overview of global terrorism trends and their implications for Israeli travellers rather than as an entirely new set of formal travel bans. It said the regional security environment — including ongoing campaigns involving Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas — has broadened the risk to Israelis abroad and contributed to intensified incitement online that can motivate attacks, especially around symbolic dates, the council warned.

The assessment identifies the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack as a particularly sensitive period that could prompt protests or violent incidents and attracts specific attention from militant groups and individuals planning attacks.

Countries and risk levels highlighted

The NSC placed Jordan, Qatar, Somaliland and Egypt (including the Sinai Peninsula) in its top danger category, described in public summaries as Level 4 — destinations the council says should be avoided. It also reiterated long-standing prohibitions on travel to Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen under Israeli law.

Separately, the assessment names Turkey, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates as countries where threats from Iranian-linked networks are concentrated, citing their geographical proximity to Iran. Other states identified as high risk or restricted for Israeli travellers included Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya and Algeria, according to the NSC summaries.

Patterns of threat the NSC emphasised

• The NSC singles out Iran and its proxies — including Hezbollah and other networks — as primary drivers of plots and operations aimed at Israeli diplomatic missions, officials, security personnel, Jewish community institutions and tourists. (sources: israelhayom.com; jns.org)
• Hamas is described as pursuing the establishment of infrastructure in parts of Europe and elsewhere to enable high-profile revenge attacks against Jews and Israelis. (sources: israelhayom.com; israelnationalnews.com)
• Global jihadi organisations such as ISIS and al-Qaida continue issuing calls to attack Jews, with activity concentrated in parts of Africa and Asia but with ambitions for attacks in Europe and the United States as well. (sources: israelhayom.com; thetraveler.org)
• The NSC highlighted a notable rise in lone-actor or “lone-wolf” attacks, which it described as decentralized, unpredictable and fuelled by online radicalisation; publicly cited figures indicate 25 Israelis and Jews have been killed in attacks abroad since the war began in 2023. (sources: israelhayom.com; israelnationalnews.com; jns.org)

Practical guidance for travellers

The NSC issued a set of behavioural recommendations aimed at reducing exposure to risk while abroad. Key points published in public summaries include:

• Avoid openly displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols such as kippot or shirts with Hebrew writing and, where relevant, limit use of Hebrew in crowded public places in Level 3 countries. (sources: israelhayom.com; jns.org)
• Avoid participating in or approaching demonstrations and protests; maintain distance from Jewish communal sites, synagogues, Chabad houses and kosher restaurants if unusual activity is noticed. (sources: israelhayom.com; israelnationalnews.com)
• Do not post real-time locations on social media and remove or block online content that reveals service in the Israeli security forces. (sources: israelhayom.com; jns.org)
• If attacked or threatened, contact local security forces immediately and then notify Israeli assistance centres; travellers were advised to keep local emergency numbers readily available. (source: israelhayom.com)
• When routing travel, avoid layovers in Level 4 countries and, where transiting through them is unavoidable, travellers were instructed not to leave airport terminals. (sources: israelhayom.com; ftlsomalia.com)

Why this matters for the region and for the UAE

The advisory has direct regional implications. It names some countries neighbouring Iran and popular travel hubs for Israelis — including Turkey, Azerbaijan and the UAE — as areas of concentrated concern, reflecting how regional hostilities can extend beyond battlefield fronts. For countries in the Gulf, including the UAE, the inclusion in the list of locations where threats are concentrated underscores the security ripple effects that follow prolonged regional conflict.

Separately, the council’s inclusion of Somaliland in the Level 4 category — alongside Jordan, Qatar and parts of Egypt — is notable because it follows a period of closer diplomatic engagement between Israel and Somaliland in 2025–2026. Public reporting has noted Israel’s recognition of Somaliland late in 2025 and subsequent moves to deepen ties; the NSC’s warning highlights how such diplomatic links can alter threat perceptions and expose diplomatic partners to security concerns. (source: ftlsomalia.com)

What is unresolved or disputed

Open reporting based on the NSC’s public summaries conveys the council’s assessment and its recommendations. The NSC itself said the update reflects trends in terrorist activity and is not strictly a new set of travel warnings; some outlets described it as an advisory while others reported Level 4 classifications for specific places. The available public summaries do not include full underlying intelligence or detailed incident-by-incident evidence for each country designation, and they do not provide a precise timetable for potential escalation beyond noting sensitivity around the October anniversary. (sources: israelhayom.com; israelnationalnews.com)

Short timeline and context

1. October 7, 2023 — Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that remains a central reference point for subsequent security assessments. (reported across NSC summaries)
2. December 2025 — Public reporting notes Israel formally recognised Somaliland; diplomatic ties and security cooperation were subsequently reported. (ftlsomalia.com)
3. September 6, 2026 — NSC publishes updated travel assessment ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, issuing Level 4 designations for Jordan, Qatar, Somaliland and Egypt (Sinai) and reiterating long-standing prohibitions on travel to certain states. (israelhayom.com; jns.org; israelnationalnews.com)

Implications for travellers and governments

For Israeli travellers, the NSC guidance is part caution and part operational advice: avoid the highest-risk destinations, keep a low profile, and follow local emergency procedures if threatened. For regional governments and international carriers, the advisory may prompt reassessments of security measures at airports, synagogues and Jewish communal centres during the holiday period when travel volumes increase.

Foreign governments issuing their own travel advice to citizens should be expected to monitor the situation and coordinate with Israeli authorities where incidents or elevated threats present cross-border security implications. The NSC’s advisory also illustrates how conflicts centred in one part of the Middle East can have security ramifications for communities, foreign missions and travellers across the region and beyond.

What to watch next

• Whether additional, more detailed public advisories or country-specific travel bans are issued by the NSC or other Israeli ministries in the run-up to the October anniversary. (sources: israelnationalnews.com; israelhayom.com)
• Local security responses in the countries named as high risk, including changes to protection for synagogues, community centres and high-profile Israeli-linked sites. (sources: thetraveler.org; jns.org)
• Any reporting by host countries or international agencies that offer corroborating incident-level detail underlying the NSC’s country classifications. (sources: ftlsomalia.com; thetraveler.org)

“This assessment reflects updated trends in terrorist activity worldwide and their impact on the level of threat to Israelis overseas,” the NSC said in published summaries, adding that the document does not constitute a new set of travel bans. (israelhayom.com; israelnationalnews.com)

In the absence of the full underlying intelligence, travellers and institutions are left to balance the NSC’s public warnings against local conditions and the advice of host-country authorities. For Israelis planning travel during the High Holidays, the council’s message is unambiguous: be alert, keep a low profile and avoid destinations the NSC deems highest-risk.