Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday urged Israelis overseas to maintain heightened vigilance worldwide, citing a “concrete concern” that terrorist operatives are currently seeking to attack Israelis abroad, according to an NSC statement. The warning comes amid what the NSC described as increased motivation and expanded efforts to target Israeli and Jewish sites globally since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.
The NSC said Iranian security bodies have issued threats toward Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide, and warned of growing concern over possible attacks in countries near Iran and across the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan. It added that in recent days, several attempted attacks against Israelis were foiled or disrupted.
The NSC also pointed to a rising threat from lone attackers, referencing recent incidents under investigation by local authorities. These include a March 1 mass shooting in Austin, Texas, where the FBI said it was examining indicators of a possible terrorism nexus, according to Reuters.
In Canada, Toronto police opened an investigation after gunfire damaged a synagogue on the first night of Purim on March 3, with no injuries reported. Police said the case was being handled by specialized units and patrols were increased in the area, The Jerusalem Post reported.
NSC urges increased precautions abroad
The NSC urged Israelis to adopt increased precautions in every country where they are staying, including limiting visible Israeli or Jewish identifiers in public, avoiding real-time location and travel-plan posts on social media, and staying alert for unusual activity near Israeli or Jewish-associated sites. It also advised reporting threats or attacks to local security services and avoiding areas known for hostility toward Israelis and Jews.
The NSC said it operates a hotline for questions related to travel warnings in terrorism contexts only at 02-666-7444. For flight-related questions, Israelis were directed to the Transportation Ministry hotline *4515 and the ministry’s “Safe Return” operation site.
For Israelis in distress abroad, or for issues not related to terrorism (consular, medical, and other emergencies), the Foreign Ministry’s situation room operates 24/7 at 02-530-3155 and via WhatsApp at 050-507-3969.