Israel safe for tourists — Fluss

Months after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, the life in the country is basically back to normal, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss bared on Wednesday.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Fluss reiterated that Israel is safe for tourists and individuals.

"So, I can say that the daily life in Israel is back to normal. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, all the big cities, everything is fully operational," Fluss said.

"You see people running in their industries, such as going for the morning jogging, sports activities, cycling, yoga, or whatever it is. Streets [are] open, hotels, schools are open, everything is open," he added.

The only time Israel closed its airspace was after Iran launched 300 projectiles at Israel on 14 April. The country had to close its airports for seven hours.

"Except for those few hours, airports are always open," he added.

Fluss said there have been some Filipino tourists visiting Israel.

Filipino Catholics see Israel as a religious destination, in June 2023, Israel saw a record-breaking number of Filipino tourists.

There was a 40 percent increase in Flipino visitors in Israel or a total of 19,300 tourists from January to June 2023.

"I just came back to Israel two weeks ago and I can tell you as I was walking around in the streets, it's unbelievable. Things, daily life continue, businesses," he recalled.

"Companies are working. Everything is fully functioning," he added.

Fluss, however, said that the public is still barred from crossing the southern and northern borders of Israel.

“People have been evacuated from the communities in those areas. There, it’s not safe. But the rest of Israel, life is back to usual,” he added.