US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee JERUSALEM: The New York Times reports that the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has directed e...
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| US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee |
JERUSALEM: The New York Times reports that the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has directed embassy staff who do not wish to remain in the country to leave "today itself."
Huckabee conveyed this information to officials via an email sent at 12:04 AM on Friday. He urged them to book flight tickets to any available destination and depart as quickly as possible.
"This move is likely to create a high demand for airline seats today," he noted. "Focus on securing a seat to any convenient location from where you can later travel to Washington, D.C. The primary priority should be getting out of the country."
He also announced that a Town Hall meeting would be held at 12:30 PM to provide further details.
The US State Department has authorized the departure of non-essential government employees and their family members from Israel. Additionally, a travel advisory has been issued warning US citizens not to travel to Israel. The directive to US citizens states, "Consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are still available."
Rising Regional Tensions
Amidst escalating tensions between Iran and the US, several countries have asked their citizens to leave the Middle East or avoid traveling there over the past few days.
India: Issued a cautionary notice to its citizens, advising them to avoid non-essential travel to Israel and Iran. Those currently there have been asked to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy.
Canada: Directed all its citizens in Iran to leave the country on Friday.
China: Requested its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and urged those already there to evacuate immediately due to the security situation.
Australia: Instructed the family members of its diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave. It also offered voluntary departure options for those in the UAE, Jordan, and Qatar.
Other nations, including Finland, Serbia, Poland, Sweden, Cyprus, Singapore, Germany, and Brazil, have issued similar travel warnings in recent months.
An "Unusual" Development
Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s directive for US Embassy staff to leave immediately is being viewed as an extraordinary move. He has advised moving to safe locations while commercial flights are still operational.
Currently, many major airlines have temporarily suspended or rescheduled services to Israel and Iran, leading to high demand and soaring ticket prices. Germany and France have also called on their citizens to return from these regions as soon as possible, assessing that the local security situation could shift at any moment.
-News Desk
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