Despite many fears and prejudice about Israel and the level of comfortable security, a new study concluded tourists in Israel are the 5th safest in the world. This impressive ranking puts the Jewish state way before the US, France, and even Canada, while being behind countries like Singapore and Denmark. Surprisingly, the study was conducted and published by a United Nations agency, the UN Crimes and Drugs office.
The data used to rank the competing nations was based on several categories such as the number of deaths from homicide in the destination country, death from car-related accidents, deaths from unintentional poisoning and poor hygiene conditions, and the likelihood of a natural disaster hitting the country.
Death or injury as a result of an act of terrorism, the reason many fear touring Israel, falls under the category of murder. Only extremely low-crime rate countries like Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Singapore managed to overtake Israel, which received a grade of 'A'. The country that was ranked the lowest is South Africa, as the rate of deaths as a result of murder in the country is 36.4 murders for every 100,000 people. According to the report, 68 people are murdered every day in South Africa, with a population of roughly 60 million people.
Israel ranked 5th safest country in the world for tourists.
— Yoav Kaufman (blue check mark here) (@yoavkaufman) December 6, 2022
"Israel’s overall safety index was -60.22, giving it a grade of A. Only Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Singapore were considered safer, with the last two countries earning an A+ grade." pic.twitter.com/itcEQQ40nr
Israeli tourism has been thriving in recent years, only taking a nose-dive along with the entire world during COVID. In 2019 alone, Israel welcomed 4.5 million foreigners, accounting for 2% of Israel’s annual GDP. It’s worth noting that the Palestinian Authority has no functional airport, so some visitors to PA-controlled lands use the Israeli Ben Gurion airport while going through Israeli customs and border patrol. Other visitors to the Palestinian Authority come via Jordan. As of 2021, despite COVID restrictions, over 6 million travelers used the Ben Gurion airport.
https://t.co/HenlLFdNKm
— JonoRose (@SirJonoRose) December 7, 2022
Israel 5th safest!!
Israel’s Tourism Ministry has been campaigning heavily worldwide ever since Israeli pandemic laws were mostly lifted. On top of being a good added source of income for the Israeli market, tourism helps spread truths about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the deeper complexities within it.
Nevertheless, while the data published by the UN-funded office will surely ensure global tourists that Israel is safe for travel, it means little to nothing in regard to current UN policies that clearly undermine Israel’s sovereignty and legitimacy.
