More
EN
Newsletter
More
Newsletter
EN
Support JNS
News   Israel News

With Israel shut down, hotlines field questions from stranded tourists

An emergency information center, staffed by English and Hebrew speakers, is assisting some 90,000 visitors in the country.

Travelers at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where flights were being delayed as the workers of the airport went on strike in a protest against the judicial overhaul proposed by the government on March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
Travelers at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where flights were being delayed as the workers of the airport went on strike in a protest against the judicial overhaul proposed by the government on March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
(March 27, 2023 / JNS)

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism opened an emergency virtual information center to field questions from the roughly 90,000 tourists currently in the country.

The announcement came amid ongoing nationwide strikes by the Histadrut, Israel’s national labor union. Ben-Gurion International Airport closed on Monday, leaving many people stranded.

The information center will be open at all times and staffed by English-speaking and Hebrew-speaking ministry employees.

The staff is also available via phone, email, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Travelers at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where flights were being delayed as the workers of the airport went on strike in a protest against the judicial overhaul proposed by the government on March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
Travelers at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where flights were being delayed as the workers of the airport went on strike in a protest against the judicial overhaul proposed by the government on March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

Airline personnel at Ben-Gurion International Airport, March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
Airline personnel at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where flights were being delayed as part of a national labor strike protesting judicial overhaul proposed by the government, March 27, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

Business and Economy Israeli Politics and Knesset
EXPLORE JNS
Trump UN
U.S. News
In UN speech, Trump asks if he should ‘annihilate’ Iran
“Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness for generations?” the U.S. president said at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
September 22, 2026 03:54 PM
Andrew Bernard
Netanyahu UN
Israel News
Netanyahu tells Mamdani he will ‘expose the truth’ at UNGA
Mamdani told CNN that he still believes Netanyahu should be arrested during his upcoming visit to New York.
September 22, 2026 08:06 AM
JNS Staff
The skyline of downtown Belleville, Ontario, on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, July 2011. Credit: P199 via Wikimedia Commons.
World News
Police officer wounded in shooting outside synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, on Yom Kippur
“Canada’s government will do everything in our power to support law enforcement in ensuring that the perpetrator is held accountable,” said Premier Mark Carney.
Sept. 21, 2026
JNS Staff
This frame grab from AFPTV video footage on June 21, 2026, shows an explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial zone, home to the world's largest liquefied natural gas hub, as the result of a "technical incident," according to the Gulf state's interior ministry. Photo by AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images.
Analysis
Qatar’s propaganda machine could be ‘first casualty’ of LNG collapse
Qatari liquefied natural gas exports plunged 96% amid fallout from Iranian strikes on its energy sites.
Sept. 22, 2026
Yaakov Lappin
Breaking News
15:08
US has redirected 110 vessels since start of Hormuz blockade, CENTCOM says
14:50
‘Deep spiritual bonds’ unite Jews, Christians, say US Catholic Bishops in Yom Kippur message
14:31
US talked to Iran on Tuesday, Trump says
14:13
French Holocaust denier gets 8 months for saying gas chambers didn’t exist
13:49
Israeli military says 14 civilians detained after entering Syria
13:22
Decry Chinese support for Iran regime, 13 military vets in Congress tell Trump
12:59
‘Evil group,’ Trump says of ICC, calls on UN member nations to quit court
12:26
UK says it will defend Saudi Arabia amid renewed Houthi attacks
12:01
US gave Iran ‘every chance for deal’ before striking, Trump says at UN
11:57
Colombia tells UN it’s pulling out of International Court of Justice case against Israel
11:47
Trump tells UNGA that Iran will make deal after US midterms
10:18
‘Honored’ to stand with Orthodox Jew trying to host ‘informal prayer group’ in his Ohio home, Arizona congressman says
08:58
Jerusalem research center to review 55 new PA, UNRWA textbooks
08:57
Israel to extend nationwide emergency measures through Oct. 6
08:36
WATCH: Trump to address UN General Assembly
08:33
Israeli PM’s adviser slams Canada for allowing ‘anti-Jewish harassment’ outside shuls
08:24
Trump denies claims US running low on munitions
08:18
Rubio: A nuclear Iran would be ‘catastrophic’ for the world
08:13
Likud lawmaker: Israel will defend itself against any aggressor
07:57
Netanyahu predicts peace with Lebanon, direct flights to Mecca
07:49
Netanyahu tells Mamdani he will ‘expose the truth’ at UN
07:32
Iran’s parliament speaker: Our missiles can hit anywhere
07:12
Rubio, Iraqi PM agree on need to dismantle terrorist militias
06:55
Israeli Arab arrested after 187,000 suspected drug pills seized in Bethlehem
06:33
Netherlands criminalizes trade in goods from Judea, Samaria, Golan
06:09
Israeli envoy sounds alarm over left-wing party’s win in Berlin election
05:48
Herzog invites public to President’s Residence for Sukkot
05:27
Board of Peace: ‘All parties’ must fulfill Gaza plan commitments
05:24
Katz warns of Hamas plan to kidnap Israelis
05:05
Somaliland mission highlights Huckabee appearance at Jerusalem event
04:44
Sa’ar slams Miliband over silence on Samaria terror attack
04:33
Netanyahu offers condolences to UAE over death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
04:24
Israel holds memorial for soldiers killed in Yom Kippur War
04:22
Canadian Jewish groups demand action after Belleville synagogue shooting
04:01
Arab Israeli sentenced after filming Gallant’s home for Iranian agent
03:42
B’nai Brith Canada calls synagogue shooting a ‘wake-up call’
03:28
Ben-Gvir: Samaria terrorist must face death penalty
03:21
Iran’s Pezeshkian departs for UN General Assembly
03:01
Samaria: Hundreds attend funeral of Israeli father murdered on Yom Kippur eve
02:41
Israel Football Association blasts Ireland manager over ‘genocide’ remark
02:19
After Trump meeting, Mamdani renews support for arresting Netanyahu
02:19
Israel FM: Canada synagogue shooting is ‘further escalation’ in antisemitism crisis
01:59
Poilievre: Canadian Jews must live ‘free from terror’ after synagogue shooting
01:38
Magen David Adom treats 3,322 people over Yom Kippur
01:18
IDF strikes Hamas infrastructure after explosive hits engineering vehicle
08:50
Trump: Tehran wants a deal but is ‘not ready’
08:18
Huckabee: International media may be Israel’s ‘toughest enemy’
07:51
Arsonist targets German synagogue ahead of Yom Kippur
07:20
UN Watch chief accuses Francesca Albanese of ‘messiah-like’ rhetoric
06:49
French TV channel apologizes for simulated attack on Tel Aviv
More Updates
JNS TV
JNS TV / TALX with Alex Traiman
Yishai Fleisher: Oct. 7 changed Israel’s political right
September 22, 2026 06:23 AM
Alex Traiman
COLUMNS
Eliezer Avraham
Opinion
The Indian Jewish general who shaped the birth of Bangladesh
Eliezer Avraham
Mike Holmes. Credit: Courtesy.
Walter E. Block
Opinion
Challenging the one-sided boycott of ‘West Bank’ exports
Mike Holmes, Walter E. Block