Americans are safe on pilgrimages

Concern about safety and security is the No. 1 issue facing first-time visitors to Israel, with most of the angst coming from family members, friends and co-workers remaining on U.S. soil.

Israel-bound travelers say they most frequently are asked, “Is it safe?” and “Are you crazy?”

Those reactions don’t surprise Raphael Ben-Hur, senior deputy director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. He insists that reality differs from what Americans see on television. “If a slight problem happens in the dinkiest spot in Gaza, CNN carries it as breaking news,” he said. “And because TV is a microscope, Americans think all of Israel is under attack.”

Ben-Hur and others promoting travel in Israel quickly point out that, to date, no American tourists have been killed in Israel while on short-term Christian pilgrimages.

Robert Vander Maten is president of Noseworthy Travel Services in Mulberry, Fla., a company that has specialized in Christian group travel since 1967. He stresses:

•    Security on planes bound for Israel is far stricter than security on U.S. domestic flights.

•    Israel’s crime rate is much lower than in the typical U.S. city.

•    Tourists ride on private buses rather than the public buses which have been targets for terrorists.

•    Israel is more security-conscious than the U.S.

Vander Maten, who has visited the Holy Land 89 times, encourages Israel-bound tourists to travel as a group with an organization they trust.