Israel’s National Security Council Warns of Increased Threats to Jews Abroad Ahead of Passover

Ailin Vilches Arguello

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El Al planes are seen on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion International airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, March 10, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.

Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has issued a warning for Israeli and Jewish individuals traveling abroad during the upcoming Passover holiday, citing potential threats from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other extremist groups.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the NSC identified Iran as a key force behind global terrorism, stressing its ongoing support for operations targeting Israeli and Jewish communities worldwide.

“Iran is the main instigator of global terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, both directly and through its proxies,” the statement read. “It continues to use terrorism as a key policy instrument, in response to and in revenge for the harm inflicted on high-ranking Iranian officials and senior Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in the Swords of Iron war.”

Over the past year, several Iran-led terrorist plots targeting Israeli diplomatic missions in countries such as Sweden and Belgium were prevented.

Officials also said there have been efforts by Iranian terrorist groups to engage with Israeli citizens abroad, aiming to harm or abduct them.

Amid the renewed fighting in Gaza, the NSC also issued a warning about potential attacks by Hamas on Israelis abroad, anticipating that the Palestinian terrorist group will intensify its efforts.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, security forces have intercepted several attacks on Israeli targets worldwide and uncovered Hamas-linked terror networks operating in countries such as Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria, and Sweden.

According to the NSC, Israel’s attempts to free the remaining hostages in Gaza and its renewed military campaign against Hamas are likely to intensify efforts against Jewish and Israeli interests overseas.

“With the collapse of the ceasefire and resumed fighting in Gaza, we are expecting to see an increase in attempted attacks against Israeli/Jewish targets abroad carried out by local initiatives or lone-wolf attackers,” the statement read.

The NSC also warned of threats from groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda, especially in Europe, while emphasizing that global jihadist operations and networks are primarily active in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

In addition to the increased terrorism threats, the advisory also highlighted the rising surge in hate crimes and antisemitic incidents targeting Jews and Israelis in countries such as Canada, Australia, and Germany.

“The bottom line is that the various terrorist entities (Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Global Jihad) are still highly motivated and active in advancing attacks against Israelis and Jews around the world,” the NSC warned.

“The backdrop of the hate-filled general feeling towards Israelis and Jews in many countries because of the war continues to fuel motivation among terrorists to carry out attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad.”

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