As the war with Iran escalates and fear grips Eretz Yisroel, I am compelled to write about a disturbing trend: people desperate to leave the country are falling prey to risky and exorbitant travel schemes. While I understand the desire to escape danger or attend important events like a family chasuna, the lack of seichel in some of these decisions is alarming and dangerous.

Reports are circulating of individuals exploiting the crisis for profit, offering questionable “escape” routes. People are chartering private jets from Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, while another company is operating boats from Israel to Cyprus. Others are booking flights from Egypt to Europe or the U.S. after crossing the border. Videos have surfaced showing hundreds of Jews crossing into Egypt – during a time of war! Have we forgotten the risks? Just two weeks ago, a terror attack in the United States was linked to an Egyptian national. Mohammad Atta of 9/11 fame was Egyptian. Egypt has seen thousands of Al Qaeda attacks over the years, and anti-Israel sentiment runs deep. Do we really believe these videos aren’t sparking evil thoughts among those who hate us?

Consider the logistics: a five-hour journey from Yerushalayim to the Taba border, followed by a three-hour drive to Sharm El Sheikh in a car with an “armed driver”—an Arab armed with a gun. Where is the seichel in entrusting our lives to such arrangements? Are people so desperate to attend a simcha or escape that they’ll risk everything? I understand emergencies like a kidney transplant, but this is madness.

Then there are the boats to Cyprus. I know someone who endured a grueling 20-hour boat journey. Another boat, promised to take six hours, had to turn back due to dangerous, choppy waves. Now, we hear of luxury vans and private jets arranged from Egypt with “secure armed escorts.” These are not solutions—they are reckless gambles with lives.

I urge our community to think carefully and prioritize safety. Use seichel. Avoid unnecessary travel, especially through high-risk areas like Egypt. Our tefillos are with Klal Yisroel, and we must protect ourselves while trusting in Hashem during this perilous time.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Yid

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