Israel: U.S. released biased travel warning in wake of Eilat attack
Recent update to Israel travel advisory asks Eilat tourists to ensure they are aware of nearby bomb shelters, while failing to cite Jordan's Aqaba, the site of the rocket attack's only fatality.
By Reuters and Haaretz ServiceA travel warning recently released by the United States in the wake of a recent rocket attack on Israel and Jordan is signaling Israel out while ignoring the fact that the attack's only fatality was Jordanian, Israel's Tourism Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
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Wreckage of cars damaged by a rocket attack is seen at a hotel area in the Jordan's Red Sea city of Aqaba August 2, 2010. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Last Thursday, the United States issued a travel warning to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Thursday, citing additional precautions as a result of a recent rocket attack on Eilat and the Jordanian port city of Aqaba which killed a Jordanian citizen was killed and wounded five others.
One rocket hit fields north of Eilat and another is believed to have landed in the sea. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack but defense analysts believe Bedouin gangs operating in Sinai or the Global Jihad group are behind the attack.
Taking these new developments into account, the U.S. State Department issued a revised travel warning to Israel, saying that "U.S. citizens in Eilat and southern Israel are advised to ascertain the location of the nearest bomb shelter."
"In the past, some rockets have travelled more than 40 km from Gaza and landed as far north as Yavne and Gadera and as far east as Be'er Sheva," the travel warning said, adding that American officials must seek approval before travelling near the Strip "as a result "of possible IDF military operations in Gaza and the ever-present risk of rocket and mortar attacks into Israel from Gaza."
In Sunday's response to the U.S. travel warning, the Tourism Ministry said that the recent "update to the U.S. travel advisory to Israel is incorrect, singling out Eilat but not Aqaba, despite the fact that the rockets' only fatality was in the Jordanian city."
Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov plans to raise the U.S. State Department's August 5 travel warning with U.S. ambassador James Cunningham this week, either in a meeting or by telephone, his ministry said in a statement.
"Differentiating Israel from its neighbor that actually suffered loss of life is improper and lacks balance," the statement said.
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and get ready for more anti-israel bias...
Islamic terrorist love when Tourism slows down in Israel. The US keeps rewarding terrorism, not fighting it.
And why would there be a warning about bombs falling in Jordan in an Israeli travel warning? Keep digging, Israeli government. As GW Bush would say: "you're doin' a heckuva job".
Not that Americans are risking their lives by going there. Thankfully my neighbors who were going there on a "pilgrimage" cancelled their plans. I applauded their decision.
Wasn't Misezhnikov the same guy who nearly created an international incident in Spain because of his unprofessional and almost treasonous behavior towards his own country? I think it was Haaretz that reported that Misezhnikov has repeatedly skipped meetings with foreign officials in Spain, Portugal, Belarus, Brazil and Argentina because he was too busy partying. The same article accused the minister of exchanging a covert handshake with an Iranian official while in Spain. And he dares to criticize the US when it attempts to protect its citizens after a terrorist attack on an Israeli city with US tourists!?
Jordan, Egypt and Israel have all suffered terrorism. There is no rational reason to single out Eilat over Aquaba.
This Israeli government is not only incompetent, but it consists of a bunch of clowns. To accuse the US of being biased against Israel, is simply ridiculous. These clowns don't half make people laugh.
The Netanyahu government continues to take every opportunity to accuse the USA of being part of the Conspiracy So Vast to harm Israel. Has Israel's Motto become 'Leave no friend un-offended?
..let the cat out of the bag, about Israel's scheme to provoke a new war.
saying War this summer!
"U.S. released biased travel warning in wake of Eilat attack" This is an obvious case of anti-Semitism! Bring out Abe Foxman and the ADL!
Enough is enough!
Why is it that the Holocaust deniers believe that people do not remember history?
It is foolhardy to enter the illegitimate state that calls itself Israel, for sudden death can come from the sky anywhere, and soon perhaps shall. Yes, I realize that the one fatal rocket hit in Jordan, but that is because of the weapon's lack of sophistication. I give condolences to Jordan for the needless death of the Aqaba taxi driver. Jordan is a fully legitimate sovereign state; Israel, by sharp contrast, is not.
Does Israel really think that the rocket that landed in Aqaba was intended for Aqaba and not for Eilat? Those missiles have no precision guidance control at all! The overwhelming number of rocket attack targets have been in the Occupied territories. Israel is exaggerating this travel warning for Americans. Attacks have NOT shifted to Jordan over Israel.
An US-EU travel banning for the whole of Israel, until a peaceful solution of the conflict has been reached, would maybe be more appropriate.
Eilat was the TARGET, and if one worries about FUTURE attacks and not past attacks, the tourist in Eilat should worry, because the next attack may come from a different location, such as Jordan or the Red Sea, in which case Aqaba will not even be in the line of fire. Let it be said that the complainer, the Tourism Ministry, is in the hands of the Lieberman party. Perhaps they want to "teach the US a lesson"...
Or anywhere else in NYC ..... Or In Paris in some of the arrondisments....Or, to make it simpler, anywhere in the world?
is the safety of it's citizens. Last week Eilat was allegedly subjected to a rocket attack by persons unknown who at this time have not been apprehended. It is possible there are more missiles in circulation so a travel advisory for Eilat is a sensible precaution. Aqaba is in Jordan, it is covered by the travel to Jordan section, why would it be in the Travel to Israel section?
I usually check State Department travel advisories if planning a trip to a country or area with which I am not fully familiar. US citizens rely on those advisories to be issued honestly and without political considerations. The advisory did not say not to go to Eilat, but only to be aware of the location of shelters in the event of an attack. Similar advisories have been issued even for European countries in which there have been terrorist attacks. If the Israeli government is able to provide additional information to the State Department concerning the situation in Eilat, I'm sure it will be considered, but I would expect that State will not simply change the information on their website because the Israelis are unhappy with it.
This is a petty difference, that I would almost say was a deliberate attempt to ruffle US feathers over nothing. However, I actually think the tourism minister is too daft to contrive such a scenario on purpose. If rockets fell recently anywhere near Eilat, it is indeed useful and practical to know where bomb shelters are. For those visiting Aqaba, there's not really much to say. Watch out, I guess, and hope for the best.
March 30, 2010 in Washington DC was a drive-by-shooting with multiple victims. Much larger reason to issue advisory
the tiny population of Israel would not even register in the US!!! ... Hey megalomaniac zionists get this straight through your heads countries like the US, France, ENgland, Turkey etc are 'major' World Powers with substantial economies and poulations and yours???
start cleaning it up and outlawing AIPAC AND ALL THE JEW SPYS THERE IN AND OUT OF GOV.