The State Department has security regulations for the U.S. Embassy’s employees and their families because of the ongoing violence in the region. The embassy’s restrictions are intended to provide the best possible security given the jobs its personnel are required to do, and thus may call for more caution than the experienced traveler would need to use, but they are good guidelines for travelers to make their own judgments.
In Tel Aviv, discos and clubs are off limits, and caution is advised in patronizing restaurants, cafes, malls, and theaters, especially during peak business hours. Employees are prohibited from using public buses and are advised to stay away from bus stops and areas around them. Travel to the West Bank and Gaza is prohibited, and Route 443 (Modi’in Road) remains off limits.
In Jerusalem, employees are urged to avoid the downtown commercial district of West Jerusalem and the Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall and the Mahane Yehuda markets. Travel in the commercial district of East Jerusalem requires extreme caution because of the rise in violent crime there. The Old City is off-limits on Fridays and after dark, and requires extreme caution during daylight hours from Saturday through Thursday. Several settler bypass roads are off limits after dark, and the outlying villages around East Jerusalem should be avoided.