Go with a plan.
Israel's safety score rose to 56 today, but government advisories remain split between level 2 and level 3 while global polio and measles notices stay in effect.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Israel
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Polio
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Emergency phone numbers: Police (mish-ta-RA) — 100 Ambulance Service ("Magen David Adom"-MADA, literally "Red Star of David") — 101 Fire department (me-kha-BEY ESH) — 102 Home Front Command (civil…
- •There is a constant threat of rocket and missile attacks on Israel and terrorist attacks can occur anywhere and at any time.
- •Even in relatively calm times, driving a car with Israeli license plates (yellow plates) to Palestinian cities in the West Bank can pose a significant risk to your life.
- •In terms of typical crime, in tourist areas, crime rates are similar to those in European cities, and the centers of large cities are safe at night.
- •Rocket attacks: When a rocket attack is detected as being fired towards Israel, alerts are provided in several means: A rising-and-falling audible siren alarm Notification messages on smartphone apps TV not…
Staying healthy
- •Emergency phone numbers:
- •There are no special medical issues in Israel, and no immunizations are required for entry.
- •Pharmacies and hospitals are available in all major cities and emergency and health care is to a very high Western standard.
- •Tap water is potable and perfectly safe for drinking all throughout Israel (but not in the West Bank or Gaza), big cities and rural parts alike.
- •Street food is safe and clean, including fried dishes, fish and different salads. It's still wise to use common sense and avoid anything suspicious.
- •The hot climate in Israel is a major issue, especially in summer. Use sunscreen throughout your stay and drink a lot of water. See also sunburn and sun protection.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers seeking safety advice for Israel often focus on transit concerns rather than violent crime. Discussions highlight a specific recommendation to avoid public transport within Jerusalem for safety reasons. Regarding air travel, there is a perception that El Al provides superior security measures compared to other international carriers, leading to debates about whether the higher cost of those tickets is justified. While travelers generally describe the region as reasonably safe, the provided discourse lacks consensus on concrete criminal threats or specific scams, focusing instead on logistics and the perceived necessity of high-security flight options.
“I've read that, for safety, one should avoid public transport within Jerusalem.
— r/travel
“My mom insists that I take El Al because of their security, but El Al flights are $1500 one way flying out of NYC (and I live in AZ). I see that it's way cheaper to fly using Aeroflot, Air France, Turkish Airlines, and Royal Jordinian but are they safe?
— r/travel
“I know the countries are reasonably safe, do you still have any suggestions?
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / H · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 100 / ambulance: 101 / fire: 102
Zoom in
2 Israel cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (10 sources)
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12