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1995
One murder every 24 minutes in the USA for a total of 21,597
1996
Over 1500
bombs exploded in the USA, killing 193 and injuring 417 persons
1996
Your chance of being involved in an act of terrorism (within the
USA or overseas) was just 1 in 4,775,210
Holy Land Safety Concerns
Will I be safe on this trip?
No one can totally guarantee safety... not your church, your community, not your doctor or dentist. However, we can say that you will be safer on your journey to the Land of the Bible than during a similar length trip
to New York City or Washington DC.
How can we make this claim?
Here are the reasons we can make this claim:
- Security on planes bound for the Middle East is much more strict than security on flights within the USA (domestic).
- Security in Israel is much more strict than in the USA.
- The crime rate in Israel is much lower than the typical US city, including your home town! (In 1995, LA County had over 2000 violent deaths while Israel had less than 400.).
- It is a relatively small area... just 50 miles wide and 150 miles long. It is easy for our office to keep a watchful eye on situations in various regions of the country.
- Since our first Holy Land trip, almost 30 years ago, we have not had a major incident.
- To our knowledge, no Christian Pilgrim from the USA has been killed in Israel during the last 30 years.
What safety precautions do we take?
We have a full-time office in
Jerusalem staffed by local people who know the area well because they live and work there.
We also use a private bus company:
- These are Tourist Motorcoaches, not the
public busses which locals use and
which are occasionally targeted.
- Only our passengers & staff are allowed to board our busses.
- All of our busses stay in contact with
our office and the bus company via
a radio and/or a cell phone.
What safety precautions does the airline take:
When boarding a
plane for the Middle East, travelers are questioned about who packed their luggage and whether they actually own the bag. Sometimes they are asked about the purpose of the trip, who they are traveling with and who they
know in the Middle East. The questioners are trained to look for tale-tell signs of nervousness and untrue statements. They are very good at their job and they take it very seriously! In addition, luggage is x-rayed
before being placed onboard the plane and every bag must have a passenger onboard the plane or the plane will not depart.
What is the security situation in Israel?
Israel is one of the most security conscious societies you will ever encounter. Leave a bag, even a paper bag,
unattended for a few moments and it will be swished away by security or surrounded by police.
The "West Bank" is often
talked about in the news.
You often may not realize when you enter the West Bank. In Jerusalem, the line between East Jerusalem (West Bank) and West Jerusalem
(Israel) is almost seamless. Security exists, but those who are visiting may be too busy looking at the amazing sites to spot it.
Other times, you will know when you enter or leave the West Bank. For example, when
you enter into Bethlehem or Jericho, you will pass road blocks manned by soldiers. Because we will be riding in a tourist bus and we all look American, we will be waved through (the bus company and our organization are
held responsible for the people on board). And contrary to rumors, guides (Jewish or Arab) have no problem crossing with their groups between the West Bank and Israel.
Will we be going into the West Bank?
Yes, but only certain areas. Just like most towns, there are places where you
would not ever go and other places you would avoid after dark. The West Bank is the same. Most areas are just fine. Other areas we will never enter. Still others, we will avoid during certain time periods.
Where exactly will we be going when we are in the West Bank?
Here is where we will go:
- Jerusalem: Jerusalem is a large city with many neighborhoods. We will visit part of the Old City of Jerusalem and the more modern portion called East Jerusalem which is in the West Bank. Like any large city,
there are good areas and less desirable areas. On our travel programs, the biggest problem you are likely to encounter is an occasional pick-pocket.
We have an office in Jerusalem run by locals. They know
which areas to avoid and when to avoid them. Basically, they keep one ear to the ground.
- Bethlehem and Jericho are both in the West Bank. Both areas have remained on tourist itineraries and welcome visitors.
I've heard they often "close" the West Bank. What happens if we are in the West Bank when the officials close it
down?
Even when the west Bank is closed, tourists are usually still allowed access to the sites. Tourists and their guides can still enter and return. Although
we have not needed to recently, we always reserve the right to change the itinerary if we feel we need to do so. As we said before, we keep one ear to the ground.
Doesn't the State Department have a special advisory in affect for travelers to the Middle East?
Yes, and a
similar advisory has been in affect for the last dozen years or so. Our office in the US monitors the State Department's advisories and, with the exception of the Gulf War period, it has changed little over the past
decade. During that time, over 76,000 travelers have enjoyed our Holy Land programs.
The situation in the Middle East, especially Israel and Palestine, looks so worrisome on the TV.
What explanation can you give?
Yes, on TV it looks bad. Here's why:
TV is a microscope; true perspective is lost
- everything seems big
- everything seems close
Journalists must justify their jobs
- there are almost as many journalists in the Jerusalem area as in Washington DC
- each journalist must justify an expensive overseas assignment
- each journalist is trying to make a name by presenting the most dramatic version of a news story.
These two factors produce the "Sabra Syndrome"
- smallest story is reported by network news
- similar stories in US are never reported on the network news
- the media picks what will be big news. For example, when five people die in Jerusalem, the media makes it front page news; however, when 17,000 US citizens die in alcohol related accidents each year, the media hardly notices.
Will we be going to Gaza or Hebron?
No.
Each person must consider for him or herself the uncertainties versus the rewards of travel.
Risk in Perspective
Can you put the risk into a perspective I can
understand?
Risk is something we live with every day.
Just because something is familiar does not mean there is no risk. Here are some examples:
Each Year...
- One out of every 4,300 American dies in auto accidents
- One out of every 20,000 American swimmers drowns
- One out of every 68,000 Americans chokes to death on food
- One out of every 75,000 American bicycle riders die in accidents
- One out of every 4.5 million Americans die in terrorist attacks (in US and Overseas)
What is my chance of being involved in an act of terrorism?
In
1996, the State Department estimated your chance of being involved in an act of terrorism (in the US or overseas) is very low: just 1 in 4,775,210. Meanwhile, the FBI reports there were over 1500 bomb explosions within
the USA in 1995, which resulted in the death of 193 persons and injury to over 400. The US Department of Vital Statistics estimated that there was one murder every 24 minutes in the USA during 1995 for a total of 21,597
deaths.
There are risks everywhere in life; things we assume are safe -- because they are a part of our everyday life -- often carry the most risk. Your chances of being killed in a car accident are 1 in 4000
while your chances of being killed by terrorism are less than 1 in 4.5 million.
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