MFA statement on the situation in Israel
10 October 2023 News.jpeg)
In connection with the ongoing tense situation in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Bulgarian citizens who are in the country register with the Bulgarian Embassy in Tel Aviv by providing passport details, home address, status and contact telephone number to one of the following e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].
The Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Tel Aviv are closely monitoring the situation on the ground and will take action in coordination with other EU member states in the event of a decision to evacuate, which is currently not in place.
The situation is extremely dynamic and Bulgarian citizens should strictly adhere to the instructions of the local authorities, and in case of questions, they can contact the Embassy on the regular and emergency telephone numbers announced publicly.
The Embassy in Tel Aviv is constantly updating a database in which two groups of our compatriots are registered: - the first are Bulgarian citizens, short-term residents in Israel, who have found themselves in a difficult situation without being able to return to Bulgaria due to cancelled flights. These are the citizens who, for objective reasons, took advantage of the flights organized by the Bulgarian government; and the second group - these are the Bulgarian citizens permanently residing in Israel, most of them with dual citizenship. Their number is also dynamic. For this group of citizens, the state does not currently envisage any specific actions aimed at organising the departure from Israel. The reason is that, for the moment, neither we nor the other Member States are planning an evacuation from Israel in the full sense of the word. It should also be noted that most European countries also do not organise special flights for their compatriots to Israel, as regular flights continue to operate.
The possibilities for foreign citizens, including Bulgarian citizens, to leave Israel to date are as follows:
- through the airlines continuing to operate flights from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv
- using a sea link from the Port of Haifa.
The Allenby crossing point with Jordan has been closed since this morning.
We understand the difficult situation of our compatriots in Israel, and we want to assure them that the state, in the person of the Foreign Ministry and the Embassy in Tel Aviv, is taking the necessary steps to assist Bulgarian citizens in need in accordance with their needs and capabilities.
We would like to remind you that the mission has two emergency telephones that citizens can contact around the clock.
+ 972 54 764 0089
+ 972 54 595 4379
Data on Bulgarian persons in Israel can also be sent electronically to [email protected], as well as to the Situation Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
email: [email protected]
tel: +359 2 948 24 04
+359 2 971 38 56