A recent uptick in stabbing attacks in and around the Old City of Jerusalem has led the U.S. Consulate General to recommend that all U.S. government employees and their family members avoid the Damascus, Herod’s, and Lions gates and the surrounding vicinity. This restriction may be lifted at the end of October based on the security environment at that time.
The U.S. Consulate General reminds U.S. citizens to avoid areas where there is a heavy police presence, as this is often an indicator of an ongoing investigation, demonstration, or that an attack or an attempted attack may have just occurred. U.S. citizens are also reminded to exercise a heightened sense of situational awareness at all times and to monitor local news sources.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- The Consulate General in Jerusalem is located at 14 David Flusser, telephone (972) (2) 622-7230. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv is located at 71 Hayarkon, telephone (972) (3) 519-7575. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance outside of business hours, you may call the emergency after-hours number either in Tel Aviv at (972) (3) 519-7551 or Jerusalem at (972) (2) 622-7250.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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