The following statement was released by the United States Consulate General in Yerushalayim:
U.S. citizen employees of the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Consulate General and their families are temporarily prohibited from using sheruts, the mini-bus shared taxis. The temporary prohibition on sheruts is in effect for the next two weeks as we assess the security implications of the December 22 bomb attack on a public bus in the Bat Yam neighborhood of Tel Aviv. This restriction is in addition to the longstanding prohibition on the use of public buses and their associated terminals and bus stops in Israel.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to exercise caution and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security. U.S. citizens should pay close attention to their surroundings and news reports, and follow the civil defense guidance provided by the Home Front Command.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet website at travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well. Download our free Smart Traveler app, available through iTunes or Google Play, to have travel information at your fingertips.
Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside of the United States and Canada, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Israel maintain valid travel documents and enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem is located at 14 David Flusser Street in the Arnona neighborhood and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays and certain local holidays). Its telephone number is (972) (2) 630-4000. The U.S. Embasssy in Tel Aviv is located at 71 HaYarkon Street and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays and certain local holidays). Its telephone number is (972) (3) 519-7475. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance, the emergency number for the Consulate General is (972) (2) 622-7230, and the emergency number for the Embassy is (972) (3) 519-7575. Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be accessed at http://israel.usembassy.gov or http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
