'Safe for Jews': New website helps Israeli travelers avoid antisemitism hotspots

A new website created by Israeli hi-tech entrepreneur Shay Yaish is helping Israeli travelers identify countries and cities where antisemitism could pose a safety risk, providing constantly updated information to help them decide where they can travel more safely.

Called “Safe for Jews,” the website uses AI-assisted tools to compile information from government travel advisories, reports from local Jewish communities, online media reports and user feedback. It is available in both Hebrew and English and gives countries and cities around the world a safety grade for Jewish and Israeli travelers.

The website was born out of Yaish’s own search for a vacation destination where he and his family could feel safe without worrying about being harassed or attacked, he told The Times of Israel.

After spending hours online trying to gather information about potential destinations, he decided to create a site that would centralize the information, believing other Israelis were facing the same challenge.

“With all the antisemitism around the world, we started searching for safe places for Israelis to visit,” he said. “And then I thought: Why isn’t there a website online where I can find this information easily?”

Yaish said the site is already being visited and used hundreds of times per day, with travelers able to find information that can help them plan their trips.

“When I first created this site, I thought that anti-Israel hatred would be trendy for a bit. I wouldn’t have imagined it would still be like this today,” he said. “It’s not just ‘is this country safe?’ but ‘what’s happening in the specific region I’m planning to visit, and what kind of incidents have been reported there recently?'”

The concern has grown significantly since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, amid a global rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents.

“We have a disclaimer on the site reminding users that this is not an official rating, and that we take no responsibility for decisions made using the site,” he added. “People still have to do their own research and use good judgment.”

According to the site, Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Albania, Lithuania and Belarus are among the safest destinations for Jewish travelers.

Latin American countries including Bolivia, Paraguay and Ecuador, as well as countries in the Far East such as Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia, are also listed as relatively safe. Nepal, Iceland and Cyprus are similarly rated favorably.

Smaller and less well-known vacation destinations, including the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and Tuvalu, are also listed as safe by the site.

Traditional destinations including the United States, most Western European countries and Australia are listed as places where Jewish visitors should exercise caution and minimize outward symbols identifying them as Jewish and/or Israeli.

Other Western countries, including Spain, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa and Russia, are listed as “warning,” with users strongly cautioned against identifying themselves as Jewish and/or Israeli. Most Muslim countries, including neighboring Egypt, are labeled “dangerous” for Jews and/or Israelis to visit.

“I have friends who might feel comfortable saying they are Israeli when they are in Cyprus, but if they are in, say, Spain, they try to hide their identities,” Yaish said. “It depends on the country and their comfort level. “Things are really confusing now for Israelis who want to travel. People just want to figure out where they can go without taking a risk.”