Middle East

Bahrain: Country still Divided Despite Reform Talks

Date: July 12th, 2011 |

Bahrain remains deeply divided after months of upheaval and two months of martial law. Talks of reform and opening the political process are beginning, however, as King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa opened a political dialogue July 5, saying all options were on the table. Despite this effort, Shi’ite Muslims—a majority of the population in the [read more]

Yemen: State Department Warns Against Travel to Yemen

Date: June 6th, 2011 |

No Comments

The U.S. State Department issued a warning advising against all travel to Yemen because of high terrorist threat levels and civil unrest. Some non-emergency government employees as well as all eligible family members of U.S. government employees have been ordered to leave. Citizens in the country are urged to avoid all protests, even if they [read more]

Yemen: State Department Warns Against Travel to Yemen

Date: March 16th, 2011 |

No Comments

The U.S. State Department advised Americans not to travel to Yemen and said those currently in the country should consider leaving. Due to rising terrorism threats and civil unrest the State Department also called for all nonessential government personnel in Yemen to leave the country. Because of an absence of infrastructure, geographic constraints and general [read more]

Israel and the West Bank: Bethlehem Will Be Packed Solid for Christmas

Date: December 15th, 2010 |

No Comments

Tourism to Bethlehem this Christmas season is expected to be up almost 30 percent over last year and a record 1.4 million tourists have already visited the city this year. Bethlehem’s hotels are fully booked for Christmas week, and in a sign of optimism for the future, four more are under construction. A lack of [read more]

Kuwait: Public Gatherings Banned to Prevent Sectarian Strife

Date: September 22nd, 2010 |

No Comments

Authorities banned all public gatherings in an effort to head off sectarian strife between its majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites as tensions flared over an exiled Kuwaiti Shiite’s comments allegedly disparaging the Prophet Mohammed’s wife, Aisha. Violators of the ban could face two years in prison. Several Sunni groups had planned demonstrations to demand [read more]

Israel: Concerns over Possible West Bank Violence

Date: July 5th, 2011 |

No Comments

Israel’s military is preparing for an outbreak of violence around the West Bank over the U.N. vote in September on Palestinian recognition as a state. Israeli reservists have been mobilized—a rare step that underscores the severity of the issue. The U.S. is expected to veto any resolution granting Palestine full membership in the U.N., which [read more]

Bahrain: Escalation in Conflict Between Government Forces and Protesters

Date: March 16th, 2011 |

No Comments

Confrontations between police and protesters continued to intensify, Saudi Arabia sent in troops to support the royal family and control the protesters, and Bahrain’s king declared a three-month state of emergency. The strong government response to the protests earned the condemnation of British officials, and the British government issued a warning for foreigners within Bahrain [read more]

Middle East, North Africa, Persian Gulf: Political Unrest Continues to Spread

Date: February 23rd, 2011 |

No Comments

Following in the footsteps of successful popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, citizens in multiple countries across the region continued to organize mass demonstrations against their rulers, often resulting in skirmishes between government forces and protesters. In Libya, the government was using the military against its own citizens, and in Bahrain, tens of thousands of [read more]

Israel and the Palestinian Territories: New Rules Allow Israeli and Palestinian Tour Guides to Visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem

Date: November 10th, 2010 |

No Comments

In time for the Christmas holidays, authorities agreed to permit Israeli tour guides to accompany tours to Bethlehem and to allow Palestinian tour guides to accompany groups from the West Bank to Jerusalem. The plan authorized 200 Israeli guides and drivers to continue into the West Bank and 40 Palestinian guides to work in Israel. [read more]

Israel: iPad Ban Lifted

Date: April 28th, 2010 |

No Comments

Israel’s short ban on Apple iPads is over, with the Communications Ministry allowing the digital device into the country as of April 26 following a second technic [read more]

Travel the World

More WTW

Monthly Archives