As the Easter and Passover peak tourism season begins, the State Department does its best to discourage travel to Israel by Americans. Yesterday, John Kerry’s Department issued this Travel Warning:

The security environment remains complex in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and U.S. citizens need to be aware of the continuing risks of travel to these areas, particularly to areas described in this Travel Warning where there are heightened tensions and security risks.

Nothing new here, but just in case you were planning a trip the State Department wants you to know.

A bit later, it notes:

Although threat mitigation efforts by authorities are not 100 percent effective, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Israel and the West Bank each year for study, tourism, and business. (snip)

Personal safety conditions in major metropolitan areas, including Tel Aviv and Haifa and surrounding regions, are comparable to other major global cities

So what’s the big deal? Turns out it is Hamas-controlled Gaza and to a lesser degree, the Fatah-controlled West Bank:

The Department of State strongly warns U.S. citizens against travel to the Gaza Strip; U.S. government employees are not allowed to conduct official or personal travel there. U.S. government personnel require special security arrangements if traveling inside Israel within seven kilometers of the Gaza demarcation line. With the exception of Jericho and Bethlehem, U.S. government employees are prohibited from personal travel to the West Bank. 

Hat tip: Lauri Regan