Israeli gang wars prompt travel warning
Citing criminal activities by organized crime, the US State Department issued a travel warning for Israel.
It marked the first time the US has mentioned organized crime in Israel as a threat to tourists or other foreign residents.
The bulk of the travel warning concerned potential risks from Palestinian terrorism, but it also warned about the risk of assault by Jewish settlers and others.
“Violent confrontation between organized criminal elements has led to the death and injury of innocent bystanders in incidents throughout Israel, including an October 26, 2005, incident in which a bomb destroyed a Tel Aviv apartment building, killing three people and wounding five,” said the warning.
Israel is the only Western country, except for the Philippines, for which the State Department publishes a travel warning. It is also the only country to be given a warning that is classified by the International Monetary Fund as “developed.”
The State Department has issued travel warnings for Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
Report by David Wilkening
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