Thank you everyone for your input.
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I’m sorry about your dilemma. It’s disappointing!
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I would cancel, or at least postpone until next year, given the instability in the region. As recently as Sunday this week, a rogue security guard shot and killed two Jewish travelers and their guide, and wounded several others after shooting randomly into the larger tour group.
I was due to go to Dubai the first week of November - I’ve canceled the trip.
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I would cancel, too. I’m glad I visited Lebanon in 2018, because it was relatively safe then. I will not go back, which is a shame because it’s a beautiful country with wonderful people. 
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my son and his new bride have an israel honeymoon planned. Had i should say.
they were supposed to leave next week. They were hoping to hit egypt and jordan as well. They are completely re-routing it all to another part of the world. We are not jewish, but they so curious about that area of the world. SO THANKFUL they hadn’t left yet. this all just so sickening. and where does it lead?
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It appears from this morning’s news that Jo Malone’s son, a leader of Palestine Solidarity Committee at Harvard, is one of the Harvard students involved in the letter blaming Israel for the slaughter of Jewish people.
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Josh Wilcox, 22. So glad he has the courage to (now) publicly stand behind his convictions!
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4252612-us-charter-flights-americans-leave-israel/
The Biden administration is arranging charter flights for U.S. citizens looking to leave Israel amid a shortage of commercial flights in the aftermath of terrorist attacks against the Jewish state.
John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, said the administration is “acutely aware” of the limited availability of commercial flights out of Israel, and President Biden asked his team to ensure the government is assisting American citizens who want to leave.
“So, beginning tomorrow, the United States government will arrange charter flights to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe,” Kirby said.
The flights will be for U.S. citizens and their immediate family members, said Kirby. The State Department is still working on finalizing details, including whether the flights will be free of charge.
“We’re also exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this including whether it’s possible to help Americans by land and by sea,” Kirby said. “So again, we’re working hard on this. We know there’s a demand signal out there, and we’re going to try our best to meet it.”
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I am so glad to read this. I’m not sure people understand that many people travel to Israel from all over the world for the Holliday. The commercial flights were booked up before this even started and now with so many canceled flights and even more people trying to leave it hasn’t been easy to get out of Israel.
My daughter is a high school teacher at a Jewish school here in Texas and she reports that several students had traveled to Israel and they were due to fly home on Monday but were not able to return.
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Our synagogue just sent out this email:
Like some of you, we are aware of warnings and social media posts that contain messages about Hamas leaders calling for attacks on and violence against Jews on Friday, October 13. We want to acknowledge how troublesome these types of reports can be and also reassure our community that we are constantly working to do everything we can to keep us safe.
Intentionally, and for our protection, not all security efforts XXXX undertakes are visible or publicly shared. The safety and security of congregants, clergy, staff, and guests is of the utmost importance.
Just this morning, the three of us attended a security briefing with Mayor Gloria, Chief of Police David Nisleit, Sheriff Kelly Martinez, and the heads of San Diego Jewish Federation, Anti Defamation League, and Bill Ganley, the Federation Security Community Network Director. Also in attendance were almost 80 local Jewish leaders of synagogues, schools, and other organizations.
We were assured that:
- There are no credible threats to San Diego at this time
- There is increased monitoring by all local police and other security
- There is a heightened level of awareness throughout San Diego County.
We take very seriously all security concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact police at 911 if you see or suspect anything suspicious.
Hoping to see everyone at Friday night and Saturday morning services where we can all pray together in safety for Peace and welfare of the people of Israel.
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My cousins interviewed on NBC about family that was taken. They will also be speaking at the UN tomorrow. on Reels | alanalindsay · Original audio
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My cousin spoke at the UN today. She was incredible.
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Link???
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I thought this was a good article on CNN about how our words matter, especially in our colleges and universities.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/13/opinions/israel-hamas-harvard-stanford-campus-protest-fish/index.html
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This is my cousin speaking at the UN. Her brothers, parents and SIL are seated with her. She has been on all of the major news channels telling their story.
Multiple news sites, along with satellite footage, are reporting that Hamas has blocked the roads leading south, thus trapping civilians who are trying to evacuate south, forcing them to become human shields for hamas. The main hospital of gaza, which sits atop and shields hamas’ central command bunker, has said it will not evacuate; in fact, many civilians have crowded onto the hospital grounds.
With no power, fuel, food or water, the hospital’s evacuation was never an option.
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Sadly, I don’t think it would be evacuated even if they had the resources. Hamas is actively blocking evacuations and from what I’ve read it seems to be using the hospital and other civilian buildings to shield it’s military assists.
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