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As international travel rebounds, Israelis planning trips abroad are being urged to reassess basic assumptions about safety, as a marked rise in antisemitic incidents and targeted attacks reshapes the risk landscape in popular destinations from Europe to North America.
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Global antisemitism reaches alarming new levels
Recent data from monitoring organizations indicates that antisemitic incidents and attacks remain significantly above pre–October 2023 levels in many countries, even where overall hate crime figures have begun to stabilize. A joint report from the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism found that 2025 was the deadliest year in decades for antisemitic attacks outside Israel, with around 20 people killed in incidents in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, a toll not seen since the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
In the United States, the Anti-Defamation League’s most recent audits show record numbers of antisemitic incidents in 2024, with more than 9,300 cases of assault, harassment and vandalism, continuing a steep upward trend over the past decade. Subsequent analysis for 2025 indicates that while some categories such as harassment and property damage have eased slightly, assaults, including incidents involving deadly weapons, have risen, underscoring an elevated level of physical risk for Jewish targets.
Across Europe and other regions, university centers and research institutes report similar patterns. Tel Aviv University’s Antisemitism Worldwide reports describe persistent spikes in several major diaspora communities, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Australia, with some countries registering triple- or quadruple-digit percentage increases in reported incidents compared with the pre-war years. Although researchers note some decline from the immediate peak following the outbreak of the Gaza war, they emphasize that the overall baseline has shifted upwards.
These trends affect not only resident Jewish communities but also visitors who are visibly Israeli or Jewish, including tourists, short-term workers and students. Publicly available incident logs compiled by law-enforcement agencies and community security groups document cases ranging from verbal harassment near synagogues to violent assaults outside kosher restaurants, at rallies and in areas popular with foreign travelers.
Israeli travel advisories tighten in response
Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have responded to the deteriorating security environment with a series of updated travel advisories. The NSC’s regularly updated travel warning portal now highlights heightened terrorist threats against Israelis and Jews in numerous countries, and officials have elevated risk levels for several destinations that were previously popular with Israeli vacationers.
In a spring 2025 bulletin released ahead of major holidays, the NSC cited attempted attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions in Europe and ongoing efforts by Iranian-linked networks to establish contact with Israeli citizens abroad under false pretenses. The guidance advises Israelis to consult the NSC travel alerts website before booking flights, to avoid regions designated as carrying a high or severe threat, and to adjust travel plans if local conditions deteriorate rapidly.
Separate advisories have been issued in connection with specific mass events, such as the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland. In that notice, the NSC warned that global jihadist groups, Hamas and other hostile actors view large international gatherings as potential targets and specifically cautioned Israeli travelers against displaying national symbols or overtly identifying markers in crowded public spaces.
According to publicly available guidance, the NSC now recommends that Israelis pay closer attention to where they book accommodation, the routes they take between airports and city centers, and the potential security posture of venues that host large numbers of Israeli tourists. The message is aimed not only at backpackers and younger travelers but also at families and business visitors who may be less accustomed to conducting personal security assessments overseas.
Heightened risks in familiar destinations
The rise in antisemitic activity has been particularly pronounced in countries that traditionally attract high numbers of Israeli tourists. The United Kingdom recorded thousands of antisemitic incidents in both 2024 and 2025, with community watchdogs reporting persistent spikes in London and other major cities. In Germany, official data show a sharp increase in politically motivated antisemitic offenses following the outbreak of the Gaza war, with a notable share linked to public demonstrations and political rallies.
Australia, which has become an increasingly popular long-haul destination for Israelis, has seen some of the most dramatic percentage increases, with national community organizations documenting several hundred percent growth in incidents over a twelve-month period. Media coverage and academic reporting highlight a similar pattern in Canada, where Jewish advocacy groups documented record incident totals in 2024 and 2025, including frequent harassment tied to campus protests and political activism around the Middle East conflict.
Analysts note that while most incidents involve verbal abuse, intimidation or vandalism rather than organized terrorism, the cumulative effect is to create a more hostile environment for people who are visibly Jewish or affiliated with Israel. For tourists, this can mean a higher likelihood of confrontations on public transport, near places of worship, or in neighborhoods where protests or counter-protests are taking place.
Some European cities have responded with increased security around Jewish institutions and major events, but experts caution that policing resources are stretched and that the geography of risk can change quickly. Reports from monitoring bodies show that antisemitic incidents tend to surge around flashpoints in the Middle East, major anniversaries, or contentious votes at the United Nations, making it more difficult for travelers to predict when and where tensions will erupt.
Practical precautions for Israelis and Jewish travelers
Against this backdrop, security professionals and diaspora community organizations are publishing more detailed guidance for Israelis and other Jewish travelers on how to stay safe abroad. Many of these recommendations focus on reducing visibility in potentially hostile environments, such as avoiding the public display of Israeli flags, Hebrew-language clothing and obvious national or religious symbols in areas where protests or high political tensions are expected.
Publicly available guidelines also emphasize situational awareness and planning. Travelers are encouraged to research local attitudes and recent incident trends before departure, to familiarize themselves with the locations of Jewish community centers and synagogues that provide security information, and to identify alternative routes in case demonstrations or unrest affect central districts or public transport. In some cities, Jewish organizations advise visitors to pre-register for security briefings or to travel in small groups when attending religious services.
Digital habits are part of the evolving risk picture. Analysts tracking antisemitism online point to extensive monitoring of social media by extremist groups and the rapid spread of hostile narratives following events in the Middle East. As a result, some security advisories now recommend avoiding real-time posting of location-tagged photos, especially when attending Jewish or Israeli events abroad, and using privacy settings that limit who can view travel content.
Insurance specialists and travel-risk firms, citing open-source data, have begun to flag antisemitism and politically motivated violence as explicit factors in destination ratings. This trend may influence corporate travel policies and organized tours, with companies weighing whether to adjust itineraries, provide additional security briefings or, in some cases, reroute staff and groups to lower-risk locations.
Balancing freedom to travel with a changed reality
Despite the heightened threat environment, there is little indication that Israelis are willing to give up international travel altogether. Figures from tourism boards and airline schedules suggest that demand for flights from Tel Aviv to major European hubs, North America and parts of Asia has remained resilient, even as security concerns have grown. Travel industry observers describe a shift not from travel to non-travel, but from spontaneous trips to more carefully planned journeys.
Jewish community leaders abroad often stress that, in many cities, daily life continues largely as normal and that tourists who take sensible precautions can still enjoy cultural, culinary and outdoor experiences. At the same time, they acknowledge that the psychological climate has changed. Surveys conducted by academic institutions and advocacy organizations indicate that a significant share of Jewish students and young adults now feel pressure to hide their identity in public settings, a sentiment that can resonate with visitors weighing whether to wear recognizable symbols during trips.
For Israelis, the new reality involves navigating a more complex map of personal risk, where the choice of neighborhood, event or even wardrobe can influence safety. Travel advisories and incident data suggest that while most journeys still pass without serious incident, the consequences of misjudging a situation can be severe. As antisemitism remains at historically high levels across multiple regions, the expectation among experts is that heightened caution will need to become a routine part of travel planning for Israelis and Jewish travelers in the foreseeable future.
Israel National Security Council travel warnings
ADL Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2025