Fearful of Iranian missiles, many sleep in Israel's underground train stations
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Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
How Safe Will You Feel Traveling In Israel?
An Israeli El Al Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft bound for Los Angeles takes off from ... More Israel's central Ben Gurion Airport on June 25, 2025. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) It's no secret that tourism is down in Israel. But it's starting to come back, considering the timeless appeal of the country's religious and historic sites, its warm beaches, acclaimed cuisine and friendly people. During our travels in Israel in April and May, we felt safe. As the late Tom Petty sang, 'Most things I worry 'bout, Never happen anyway.' It would be a shame not to see Israel because of fear. There's Jerusalem where the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Via Dolorosa, the City of David and David's Tower bring tourists face to face with Bible times. There's secular Tel Aviv, with its beaches and Bauhaus architecture, fine dining and brilliant museums. The fortress of Masada where zealots fought the Romans, the Sea of Galilee, and even the final resting place of Princess Alice, grandmother of King Charles, are all worthy of visitation. And there's the Nova Festival memorial site. How safe is travel to Israel? After all, the country is in the midst of what has been described as a 'seven-front war,' which is finally winding down. The number one question we got when we returned from Israel was 'Weren't you afraid?' For my wife and I, the short answer was 'No.' We spent ten days there and felt comfortable. Of course, we do live in Los Angeles, where we were greeted on our return by someone breaking into our car, followed by a week of rioting. Aerial view of the ruins of Massada is a fortress built by Herod the Great on a cliff-top off the ... More coast of the Dead Sea. Destroyed by the Romans in the 1st century AD e. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List In Israel, you'll occasionally see a military jet or hear a helicopter overhead. You'll see a beautiful girl or a paunchy reservist carrying an M-16. It quickly becomes part of the scenery, like people playing matkot (an Israeli paddle ball game) at the beach in Tel Aviv or large religious families navigating the streets of Jerusalem. In the North or South you might see the occasional tank transporter schlepping a Merkava, but in Tel Aviv the streets are packed with tables of outdoor diners. Yes, the tiny country important to three of the world's great religions has been embroiled in a multifront war since October 7, 2023. On that day, several thousand terrorists launched an assault from Gaza that killed, injured or kidnapped more than 1500 people. Yes, the most visited destination in Israel is currently the Nova Music Festival site, where more than 360 young people were murdered on October 7. International and local visitors recognize the importance of this memorial. During our visit, we traveled from the shores of the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv to East Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. We drove to the Nova Festival in the south to the Galilee and the Golan in the North. We felt comfortable and welcome everywhere, whether traveling by car or taking the Jerusalem to Tel Aviv train or buses. We experienced two missile attacks. In Jerusalem, the alarms went off at 6:30AM on Shabbat. We got up and went to the stairwell of the Orient Hotel for a few minutes. When the missile was intercepted by Iron Dome, the alarms stopped. A few days later, we were driving to the North from Jerusalem when a Houthi hypersonic missile evaded Iron Dome. It landed near Ben Gurion Airport, creating a crater in the parking lot. No one was injured, but many foreign carriers canceled or postponed flights. But our El Al flight to Paris two days later was unaffected, departing right on time. People gather by the surf at a beach in Tel Aviv on June 21, 2025. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) El Al, and fellow Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir, have the reputation of flying even when other airlines cancel. El Al is currently the only airline flying nonstop from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv. Delta is set to return to flying to Ben Gurion after August 31, 2025. American Airlines has no plans to resume flights until at least September. That has resulted in high pricing on El Al. For non-stop flights from LAX on August 6, returning on August, I found two El Al economy fares, one $5162, the other $5892. You have a little more choice if you fly from the NY area, where Arkia and United join El Al in flying nonstop to Israel, a ten-and-a-half-hour flight. A non-stop on El Al from JFK to Israel on August 6, returning on August 20, is $4235, while a United roundtrip on the same dates is $3898. If you have more time than money, one-stops are available for much less. For example, JFK to TLV via AUH (Abu Dhabi) roundtrip on Etihad over those dates costs only $1653 but takes 24 hours from JFK to Israel and 32 hours to return. Faced with such costs and wait times, travelers from the U.S. to Israel often choose to connect via Europe. Tourist Israel lists many carriers flying to Israel here. My wife and I flew from LAX to Rome on Norse Atlantic Airlines and returned to LAX from Paris. Both flights were in Norse's Premium Class. We flew into Israel from Athens, and flew out of Israel to Paris, both on El Al flights. The total cost per person was about $2800 round trip, a huge savings in money, if not time, over the $5,000-plus El Al non-stops from LAX. To visit Israel, Americans now need a visa, also called an ETA-IL(Electronic Travel Authorization). It costs about $30 and allows you to visit for up to 90 days. It's a simple and fast process if you are eligible. In our case, my wife got a visa that was sufficient for both of us as we were traveling together. An Airbus A321-251NX from Arkia Israeli Airlines lands at Barcelona airport in Barcelona, Spain, on ... More September 14, 2024. (Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images) The screening process starts with the visa and continues at the airport. Patience during the airport questioning is key. It's important to remember that those pesky questions are to keep you safe. From the screening to the questioning to the luggage checks to landing far from the terminal at Ben Gurion (a bus takes you there) airlines flying to Israel, particularly El Al, are vigilant. While the seemingly repetitive questioning can be irritating, it's worth contrasting with America's reliance on technology and 'security theater' like randomly searching grandmothers. In Israel, the ever-present security becomes part of the landscape and made us feel safe throughout the country. Israelis are friendly and curious (if sometimes brusque) and Israel's tourism industry is an important one. You will not encounter tourist go home sentiments like Barcelona or Venice, although you may get an incredulous 'You came?' The State Department website considers Israel a Level 3 out of possible 4 levels of travel warning. The advisory says, 'Reconsider travel due to terrorism, and civil unrest. The security situation in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is unpredictable.' For context, State lists 42 countries currently at a Level 3 or Level 4 safety level. This includes 23 countries at Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") and 19 countries at Level 4 ("Do Not Travel") Some of the Level 3 countries include Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda. Russia, Syria, and Ukraine are Level 4 countries. During our visit, Israeli life seemed normal or even joyous, as on Independence Day. Yet even with the beaches and the cafes filled, the mood ranged from happy to sad. Yellow chairs, yellow ribbons, posters and stickers demanded freedom for the hostages and commemorated the dead. A sticker showed a smiling young paratrooper who had gotten his wings permanently. As I write this, 50 Israelis remained hostages in Gaza after more than 650 days. A young waitress in an upscale restaurant near Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square Fountain told us she lost eight friends at the Nova Music Festival. The fountain itself has become the repository of memory, with mementoes and possessions of the missing and dead neatly arranged around the fountain. People at the site of the Nova music festival, location of an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, one year on ... More near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. Israel has been in a state of war since Hamas stormed southern Israeli communities and military bases on Oct. 7 last year, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250. Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg Nonetheless, the museums, the music, the clubs, the ancient sites, and the people of Israel are all waiting for tourists to return. My son is returning there this fall. We went. We will go again. Hopefully soon, when the hostages are released and the war is over.
Skift
10 hours ago
- Skift
Exclusive: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Chief to Leave for Role at Accor
In six years, Phillips helped turn Ras Al Khaimah from a little-known tourism destination to a booming development spot, home to the country's first legal casino. Raki Phillips is stepping down as CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), Skift can exclusively reveal. Phillips will be moving to Accor where he will be regional president for the operator's premium, midscale & economy division in Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Phillips will leave the tourism authority in October and relocate to Dubai, where Accor's regional headquarters are based. He starts his new role in November. In a statement sent to Skift, Accor explained Phillips will oversee hotel operations across more than 250 properties in 27 countries, as well as a pipeline of over 85 hotels. He will report to Duncan O'Rourke, CEO of Accor's Premium, Midscale & Economy division in Middle East Africa & Asia Pacific, and succeeds Paul Stevens, who was COO of the division since 2023. On bringing in Phillips, O'Rourke explained: 'As we move into the next stage of growth in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, it's important we strengthen our leadership presence locally. With his deep understanding of the region, and strong relationships across both public and private sectors, Raki is perfectly positioned to deepen our community ties, accelerate development, and continue to elevate the strength of our brands.' Phillips' move marks a return to Accor. From 2012 to 2015, he served as regional director overseeing the group's Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands across the Middle East, Africa, and India. Impact in Ras Al Khaimah During his six-year tenure, Phillips led Ras Al Khaimah's shift from a lesser-known UAE destination into one of the country's fastest-growing development hubs. The emirate recorded its highest-ever visitor numbers — 1.28 million — in 2024. The emirate is targeting 3.5 million visitors a year by 2030. RAKTDA licensed and managed more than 60 hotels and built a development pipeline exceeding 15,000 room keys. Phillips was also instrumental in securing the UAE's largest foreign direct investment to date: a $5.4 billion Wynn Resorts project on Al Marjan Island. The development, slated to open in 2027, will feature the Middle East's first regulated gaming facility. Since Wynn's announcement in early 2022, Al Marjan Island has become a magnet for luxury hotel developers. Marriott has signed four five-star properties for the island—JW Marriott, Westin, Le Méridien, and W Hotels. Boutique brands like Nobu are also entering the market. Ras Al Khaimah's hotel supply is set to double by 2027, with nearly 7,000 new room keys in the pipeline. An additional 1,000 keys are under discussion for openings before the end of the decade, according to government data. 'Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) announces that CEO Raki Phillips will step down in October 2025 after six transformative years,' said a statement from the tourism authority. 'During his tenure, Mr. Phillips helped lead the Authority's effort to drive the Emirate's bold vision to become the 'Destination of the Future.''
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Passengers keep indulging in this nasty plane bathroom behavior — here's why airlines are afraid to call out the icky offenders
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Airplane etiquette is going down the potty — but there's one particularly stinky behavior that airlines are hesitant to call out. A veteran flight attendant claims that carriers are declining to educate unfamiliar passengers on how to use Western-style toilets — over concerns they'll take offense. The confounding concession to cultural sensitivity means things can get pretty messy at 30,000 feet, according to Marcus Daniels, who retired in 2019 after working the friendly skies for over five years in Australia and the Middle East. 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures,' said Daniels. 'However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.' Yurii Zushchyk – 'Passengers will defecate on the floor and you just do your best to smile and not say anything,' the inflight insider told the Daily Mail. 'You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights.' In fact, the crew member said he could recall dozens of stories of airplane 'accidents,' the lion's share of which occur in developing countries, where many aren't privy to the doo's and doo not do's of modern lavatory use. 'As cabin crew, you notice it happens on specific flights to specific destinations,' said Daniels. 'We'll chat and find other crew picked up on the trend too.' And while he declined to specify the routes where this issue is most common, he said it's 'not really a problem in first-world countries because we know how to use western toilets.' According to Mobility International USA, four billion people worldwide use squat pots, which require the goer to hunker down over a hole in the ground — and use a bucket or hose for heinie hygiene in lieu of TP. Crew members have noticed the trend is concentrated in certain regions. – Meanwhile, a whopping 420 million of earth's inhabitants still defecate in the street, per a World Bank Blog from 2023. This can pose problems when nature calls high above certain parts of the world. 'On these routes, we're having to constantly check the toilets to make sure they're clean and the toilet rolls aren't stuffed down the bin,' lamented Daniels. 'On one flight I had a passenger who kept peeing on the floor. I tried to show her how to use the toilet, and she would nod and agree, then do it again.' Billions of people still use squat toilets (pictured). zirong – He added that things got so unsanitary on one trip that he 'had to lock off the toilet for the rest of the flight.' Daniels chalked up the inability to master the game of thrones to a lack of 'education,' declaring, 'If they knew how to use the toilets, they would.' 'Most of the confused passengers don't speak English as their first language so we can't really explain how to use the toilet,' the former FA lamented. 'It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing.' Despite the abundance of inflight brownouts, this change likely isn't in the pipeline, per Daniels. 'Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don't want to offend anyone,' the ex-crewmember claimed. 'All of us are trying to be accepting of all cultures. However, there needs to be some kind of video or visual guide about using and keeping the toilets clean.' He added, 'It would be a dream come true. I have friends who are still working these routes and, nine years later, it's still an issue.' A lack of bathroom etiquette isn't just revolting — a catastrophic trip to the lavatory can also jeopardize flights as well. In March, Air India implored passengers to use the lavatories for their intended purpose after passengers clogged airplane toilets with clothing, diverting an international flight. A so-called lavatory backup might seem trivial, but just one clogged toilet can prompt the pilots ground a flight due to the limited number of facilities in the air.
