My son is considering doing an archeology study abroad program in Israel. Does anyone have current experience there with knowledge of how safe it is? The site is on the coast, but they will be taking trips to various cities during their stay. I am an anxious mom; my son is adventurous.
I would have no problem sending my child there. What are your specific worries? If it’s terrorism, note that there’s terrorism all over Europe and the United States as well, and Israeli security and intelligence is second to none.
I sent my daughter over there for a study abroad in high school. I never once had any concerns over her safety. They provide extra security for students over there, and wont go anywhere there is any chance of any danger… Israel is prob ably safer than many US cities.
I am working with a high schooler who just returned from a semester abroad. He had a great time. My thought about study abroad programs is that colleges don’t run them if they consider them unsafe. They keep very close tabs on state department warnings and the like. They want to encourage kids to do these programs, and no one wants a lawsuit.
The biggest warning that anyone traveling in Israel needs to heed is “listen to the experts”. If the security adviser to the site declares certain places off-limits- then they are off-limits. That means no weekend jaunts to Petra if (for whatever reason) travel to Jordan is considered unsafe. This isn’t like the “don’t drink and drive” video the kids slept through during driver’s ed.
Other than that, Israeli security is meticulous (your kid will be surprised that his bag gets searched going in to a grocery store, movie theater; if he’s driving in a car, security will stick a mirror underneath the car before allowing it to park in a garage; he will see armed soldiers on public buses and walking through playgrounds. Israeli’s know the drill and he will learn it too! He needs to remember to keep his passport with him at all times (I got stopped trying to use the ladies room of a hotel where I wasn’t registered- they scanned my passport before allowing me in to the hotel lobby) but besides that- he will have a blast! The digs are usually staffed by students from all over the world and the participants bond very, very quickly!
Blossom–that is a lot of checking, but it’s good to know that security is so on top of everything. Thanks for the detailed information.
Israel has a lower murder rate than the US.
However, the security can be intrusive, particularly for someone who is or appears to be Arab or Muslim.
My kids was in Jordan the year following the Arab spring. Things were a bit tense and at one point missiles were being launched from Lebanon into Israel very close to where the program was in northwest Jordan. They considered evacuating the program to another site, but in the end things calmed down and they stayed put. The kids knew what they should and should not do, but sometimes they wanted to be part of what was going on. My son went to Egypt for spring break and the sensible kids had to persuade the less sensible ones to stay out of Tahrir Square when there were demonstrations going on. If your kid is one of the sensible ones, he’s probably as safe in Israel as anywhere. Which is not as safe as one might like. But an archeological site is probably about as safe as it gets.
I traveled in Israel many eons ago and it was fabulous, and more moving than I expected. Jordan is also worth a detour if it’s safe. We spent a week and half there when my son was there. One of my favorite trips ever.
I was at the World Trade Center two days before they were bombed. I was on an earlier flight the same summer as the one that was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland. I tend to feel that if your number is up, it’s up.
That said, there may be extra unrest and anti-American sentiment due to the decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
Actually, the Israelis have pro-American sentiment about the embassy move. The Palestinians, not so much.
And it is the Palestinians who might carry out some kind of strikes in retaliation. No one thinks Israelis attack in their own cities. @LindaGaf, I also think the quality of study abroad programs varies quite a bit. The oversight and planning is a lot better for some than others.
I’d let my kid go – would go myself if I could – but with the strict instructions that they really have to follow any rules laid out.
I can’t think of any nation that has more experience with terrorism – and is more prepared & safety/security oriented – than Israel. Yes strikes might happen there… they way they may happen in Paris, London, Madrid, New York, Los Angeles…
But intparent brings up a good point: kids HAVE to be told about the dangers, and parents and program organizers must impress upon them the importance of taking security measures and instructions extremely seriously.
Yes, I am sure some colleges have better programs than others.
In my post above, I meant to say that the high school student just returned from Israel. He only talked about the fun stuff he did. Your chief concern is safety, but your child’s chief concern is having a great experience. We all have more chance of being in a car accident, frankly. I would let him go.
@ZZdecision2016 I sent you a PM.
Both of my kids have been to Israel…D went as a 16 year old for 5 weeks with her camp and they traveled all around the country and my S went on a Birthright Trip. I also have 2 newphews who did a gap year there. Wouldn’t hesitate to let my kids go again.
I sent my 17 year old daughter for a 4 month semester in 11th grade. I am getting ready to send my younger one next school year. I have been there 4 times in 3 years and there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. My husband and I are hoping to retire there at some point. I would not hesitate!
I echo what others have said. I work for an Israel-based organization. It’s very safe. Generally organized trips travel on private buses (as opposed to public transportation) and often have armed security guards who accompany them when necessary. You will not find a more safety-conscious country anywhere in the world. I have been there 6 times without incident.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I will ask more about what types of safety measures will be put in place during the program. I don’t want to hold my son back, but at the same time, hearing about the armed guards is somewhat anxiety provoking. It’s most likely due to my own inexperience in this region. I realize, though, that danger is everywhere and that one can’t live a full life without some risk.
Son is there several times a year, and moves throughout Israel, in early 20s. While I worried on first trip, I don’t anymore. He is very comfortable in Israel and we always feel he is as safe as anywhere. If flying El Al, the security is more than you see getting on most planes, which is great, but they aren’t as easy to work with if you want to change flights etc. Their online system is odd and if you call - just not easy to work with. He flew them a few times, but we found it easier to work with United and his experiences flying with them have been fantastic (go figure). Our goal is non-stop and both offered that to Tel Aviv. You may not deal with flight issues anyway…
We just insist he avoid the top and bottom - the area beyond and around Golan Heights by the Syrian border and the Gaza strip obviously. If your S is with people familiar with Israel, they know the drill. It could be a wonderful experience. Armed guards are a good thing, it’s normal there, not a big deal.
The “armed guards” are soldiers. They are EVERYWHERE. It’s normal.
It takes a few days to get used to the soldiers everywhere- drinking coffee at a cafe, taking the bus, walking through an open air market, patrolling the parking area close to the beach. And then you don’t even think about it.