united tours jerusalem

United Tours - Day Tours

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UNITED TOURS - DAY TOURS (Jerusalem) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

United Tours - Day Tours

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United Tours - Day Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

United Tours - Day Tours

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UNITED Jerusalem tours

UNITED Jerusalem classic tour

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Israel Tours & Trips

Be immersed by the artistic vibes and nightlife of Tel Aviv, photograph impressive sunrise vistas from Masada, or admire Jerusalem, one of the world's oldest cities. As the Land of Milk and Honey, an adventure in Israel would not be complete without visits to the biblical sites of Galilee, Bethlehem, and Jericho. Whether you want to float in the Dead Sea, embark on a Christian expedition or even book a private tour of Israel, Egypt and Jordan , this ancient landscape is full of experiences that will enlighten your mind, body and soul.

250+ Israel tour packages with 999 reviews

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

8 Days Highlights of Israel

Great experience. Every box was checked, all logistics perfect. Shukie and Shimone, guide and driver were outstanding, focused and even funny.

• Sightseeing

Jewish Israel Tour Package, 5 Days

overall the tour was good. the guides were very knowledgeable. Unfortunately my planned visit to the Golan heights was cancelled and I ended up visiting Jerusalem twice

Heritage of the Holy Land

Itinerary covered all the places we wanted to see. The accommodation for tourist class was a little too far from the main city centre especially in Jerusalem (we were at Rimonim and had to take tram plus additional bus or taxi to get to and from the main centre of Jerusalem) and also Tiberias (stayed at Prima where we had to walk up and down a hill for 25 minutes to get to the seafront). We took half board option and the hotel buffet dinners provided every night was delicious and well worth the cost! Breakfast was also good. Would recommend going outside of summer time as the heat can get quite unbearable at times especially with the outdoor sites included in the itinerary. Transportation to and from sites and airport transfers were excellent. Guide was knowledgeable. Overall, good experience!

Jewish Israel Tour Package, 7 Days

Marvelous, it was a great experience to get a glimpse of God's creation on the Holy Land. A real Blessings. Glory be to God!

• Coach / Bus

Heritage & Holy Land - 8 days

Dear Folks, The tour was terrific and all I antiipated it would be - experiencing Israel in every way, shape and form everywhere we went! However, at my age the amount of walking was beyond my comfort zone after a several days. I was worn out after 4 days, and totally exhausted after the 6th day, after I'd rested my sore toe in the hotel the previous day! I'm in good shape for my age, however that much walking on unlevel terraine was w-a-y beyond my comfort zone and I'll sign up for that level of intensity again. The tour guides were great and professional. If I were to do another tour, I'll visit half to one/third the number of places we went, relax more, and spend more time at each place. Your foils online that answered all my questions were superb, kind and helpful. That's all, may God bless you all richly!

Discover Israel

Informative and interesting historical and biblical sites. Accommodations and food were very good and guides and drivers were friendly. Only real glitch was pairing English speaking and Spanish speaking tourists together. Lead tour guide had to repeat everything in both languages. Both sets of tourists were frustrated as it slowed things down. Queue line control at the church of the holy sepulcher was lousy, allowing people to cut lines; and at one point the line didn’t move at all from 3:00 until 4:15. By 5:00, they rushed everyone through — if they maintained flow speed throughout the day instead of just at the end and had more queue line discipline, people could get through faster and suffer less frustration. Jordan river— site near Jericho had putrid looking water; should use a site closer to the Sea of Galilee where the water is cleaner. Dead Sea was disappointing— staff would not allow people to swim or float — only wading.

The Story of the Israeli State - 10 Days

My husband and I had never been to Israel and booked this tour as a “bucket-list” event. Our tour guide, Efraim Native, was the best - he was a history professor, knew philosophy, religion, politics, economics, abd engineering - answering every question we had. He was friendly, helpful and made excellent food recommendations. Our tour covered Tel Aviv (our new favorite city), Haifa, the Golan (do not miss the Hula Nature Preserve), and Jerusalem (Old and New). We added the Masada/Dead Sea tour at the end. Finally, we chose the 5-Star hotel option and stayed in true luxurious accommodations). We will use Tour Radar and Click Tours again!

Looking for tours beyond just Israel?

Explore tours with itineraries going through multiple countries, including Israel.

Past to the Future - The Story of the Israeli State - 11 days

The tour is very well-planned and paced. It gives one exactly what it promises: a chance to view the history of the Jewish people and the state through the major sites and cities.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Galilee, Golan, Caesarea and Nazareth 4 days

We had a fantastic tour to Galilee, Golan, Caesarea, and Nazareth, the guide Tomer was extraordinarily knowledgeable and answer any questions we had. We highly recommend him for your visit to Israel. The communication and the booking process with the booking-tours company were smooth, and all pickup was on time.

Highlights of Israel 5 star - 8 days

Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Dead Sea 4-Day Excursion

Amir was great, shared a lot of history about Jerusalem and we had a wonderful time learning about our surroundings with him!

Jewish Israel Luxury Tour 10 days

We just came back from Israel I would say that we are all happy and satisfied with Booking Tours company. They gave us a very memorable trip and our tour guide Adi is very good explaining to us the history of all the places we have been. The company is very organized from booking our hotels and are easy to deal and communicate. My contact person is Vera Veinberg who is very good communicating with us, and she makes sure that everything will work fine. I would recommend Booking-tours, and we would use them again for a future trip to Israel.

Tailor-Made Private Israel Tour with Daily Departure

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Tailor-Made Best Israel Tour with Daily Departure & Private Trip

Israel - Holy Land Tour

What people love about israel tours.

I had a wonderful time! Our tour guide Orna was very knowledgeable, caring and with very good sense of humor! The same thing I would also say about our bus driver Namir. We felt very safe and cared of.

Ami, Dima and all guides were excellent! And overall very well organized and thanks to Oksana for prompt response!

Mark was great tour leader!

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United Tours - Day Tours

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United Tours - Day Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Tours to the Holy Land: Trips & Israel Tour Packages 2024, 2025

"Every place we visited was breathtakingly beautiful, with stunning landscapes and rich historical and cultural heritage. We highly recommend visiting Israel to anyone who wants to experience an unforgettable journey. We had a life-changing time there and are already planning to return." Simon L. and Beatriz G. – Tour to Israel/Egypt/Jordan February 2024 "I had a wonderful time in Israel. I felt while I was there the precautions that were taken for our safety were well in hand. I still got to experience many holy sites and be blessed by walking the path that Jesus walked. Every day was started in prayer, singing, or scripture reading which also extended the blessing of the trip." Quincie L. – Tour to Israel/Egypt/Jordan February 2024

Our Israel tours & Holy Land tours of 9-24 days for the Evangelical Protestant Bible believer are what Pilgrim Tours does best. Prepare yourself for a life-changing journey to walk where Jesus walked and visit Jerusalem, Galilee, & Samaria. Each of our Israel tours is led by a local guide who is an experienced expert on the historical, cultural, scenic, and spiritual history of the Holy Land. If you travel with 10 or more people, a private group tour can easily be arranged. Pilgrim Tours can customize an itinerary to fit your group needs with many options to choose from.

Concerned about safety? As a Christian tour operator, the staff at Pilgrim Tours takes a Biblical perspective regarding the current situation in the Middle East. We do not believe that peace in Israel is something that will occur until the Prince of Peace comes to restore His kingdom. Please do not make a reservation with us based on the hopes of a calm future. If you long for the special blessings only available in Israel, we will take you there. An expert driver and guide will carefully keep you from any areas that could present a problem and treat you to the riches of Israel as our special guest.

Below is a large variety of Israel tour packages departing in 2024 and 2025 year-round.

View Our New Israel Tour Highlights Video! Click Here

Reserve your tour at least 6 months in advance for an early booking discount, groups and parties of 6 or more click here for special rates, scheduled 2024 & 2025 israel tours.

View our Israel tours ranging from 9-24 days.

Take a tour of a lifetime and bring the Bible to life.

Featured Sites in Israel

Explore a vast selection of beautiful historical and Biblical locations throughout Israel with our Israel Holy Land tour. You can visit Jerusalem, Galilee, and parts of Samaria, getting the life-changing opportunity to see where Jesus and many other Biblical figures lived and walked. We even offer Holy Land tours that allow you to see the Dead Sea, the Garden Tomb, and the Jordan River Baptism Site. Like all of our Europe tours , our Israel Holy Land tours are led by local guides who have extensive knowledge of the area and its history. If you want to experience the history of Israel and see the Bible come to life, our Holy Land tours give you that opportunity.

The city of Jerusalem offers a unique convergence of Judaism, Christianity, and the Muslim faith. For Christians who visit Jerusalem, you will learn about many stories of the Bible while walking her streets. Many actors in the Bible such as Abraham, King David, King Solomon, the twelve disciples and Jesus all lived, visited, or spent time there. The Passion week of Christ will be highlighted during our stay as we visit the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Western Wall, the Way of Suffering, and the Garden Tomb.

Sea of Galilee

Nowhere in Israel does the Bible come to life more than along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Pilgrims who visit the Galilee region have the opportunity to imagine what life was like 2,000 years ago and what Jesus and the twelve disciples experienced while fishing on the Sea of Galilee. The peaceful setting and the natural wonders of the Golan Heights to the east and Mt. Arbel to the west make for a great way to start your morning in quiet reflection. During our tour, we explore the Biblical towns of Capernaum, Magdala, and Nazareth and take a meaningful cruise on the Sea of Galilee.

The Dead Sea is not only the lowest and most lifeless lake in the world, but also nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean. Travelers will enjoy the beautiful colors of the blue water and the red mountains of Jordan to the east. Take time to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime Dead Sea “float” either in the sea itself or at one of the warm salt water pools at our hotel. The Dead Sea experience is truly a bucket list visit you won’t want to miss!

Garden Tomb

Our visit to the Garden Tomb and its surrounding gardens is normally one of the highlights of our tour to Israel. The Garden Tomb is a rock-cut tomb in Jerusalem that was unearthed in 1867 and is considered by some Protestants to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. Our visit offers a unique time of prayer, reflection, communion, and praise, which will be a special life-long memory for many travelers.

Jordan River Baptism Site

The Jordan River Baptist Site or “Yardenit” is a baptism site located along the Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. This site is frequented by Christian Pilgrims who enjoy imagining the setting of the baptism of Jesus. For anyone who would like to be baptized in the Jordan River, Yardenit has been developed to be a peaceful setting with beautiful gardens, clean colored water, changing facilities, showers, and a nice souvenir shop.

Caesarea Philippi

To many Pilgrim travelers, Caesarea Philippi is a special surprise while on their tour. Located along the rushing springs of Mt. Hermon, the beautiful and natural setting is where Jesus asked his disciples “Who do men say that I am?” He asked this question while observing the pagan worship of the god Pan as worshipers offered their sacrifice at the “Gates of Hell.” Our time at Caesarea Philippi is one of many opportunities throughout our tour to see the lessons and message of the Bible come to light in a special way.

Israel Tours: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best month for the Holy Land tour?

Taking a trip to Israel during the spring or fall offers the most enjoyable weather of the year but normally has the largest crowds. If you want to enjoy a peaceful tour with fewer crowds, consider visiting between December and February or June and August. We offer Israel and Jordan tours throughout the year, so you can select a trip that works for your schedule.

How many days do you need for a Holy Land tour?

We offer several types of tours of the Holy Land, so the duration of your tour depends on the tour package you choose. The Best of Israel Tour is our most basic offering and includes a Sea of Galilee boat ride, a trip to the Jordan River Baptism Site, the Dead Sea, and many opportunities to walk on the same land Jesus walked on. This is our shortest trip at just 9 or 10 days. Our most involved trips allow you to experience a wide range of historical locations over the course of a few weeks. Egypt tours are included in some of these packages, as well as tours in Greece and other countries. These tours can take up to 24 days, giving you the chance to spend an extended period of time learning about and visiting different parts of the world. From our Turkey tours to all of our Israel Christian tours, all of our tours feature a first-class hotel rating for the country you visit. We do offer some upgraded tours that offer better lodging options. You can review our hotel categories at https://www.pilgrimtours.com/company/hotelcomparison.htm . Check out any of our tours to view a day-by-day itinerary and see what amenities are included with each tour.

What is the dress code in Israel?

The dress code in Israel is different from other parts of the world. There are a few dress code basics you should understand before booking Israel tours: When you’re in Israel, there is no strict dress code. You can wear what you feel comfortable wearing. However, both men and women should try to dress conservatively and cover their shoulders and knees when visiting any of the religious sites throughout Israel. Generally speaking, it’s best to avoid tank tops and shorts. Men need to cover their heads when visiting the Western Wall. Pilgrim Tours provides a Pilgrim Tours ball cap upon arrival in Israel, but you might consider purchasing an affordable kippa that you can bring when you visit Jewish sites. Some places may offer a free kippa, but these are generally low quality. (Women are not required to cover their heads at any sight.) You can figure out what you need to pack and how to dress each day by looking at the itinerary for our Holy Land tours. Guides normally offer guidance on how to dress for the next day while on tour. We also suggest looking at the extended weather forecast as you prepare and pack for your trip.

Is there a lot of walking involved on an Israel Tour?

Our Israel tours do require a significant amount of walking each day and you should be able to walk unassisted 3-4 miles per day on average. Make sure you have a comfortable pair of shoes that provide adequate support. While there are bus and boat rides during these tours, you have to walk quite a bit to explore some of the Biblical sites. Our tour guides normally give the group a few options at sites for those that have physical limitations. One thing to keep in mind is that there are many hills and valleys in Israel which can make walking even more taxing. The amount of walking you have to do may vary based on the tour you take, so look at the itinerary before choosing your tour. The good news is that Israel is a beautiful country to see on foot, and you’ll have several opportunities to sit down and give your feet a rest. As long as you have a good pair of shoes and comfortable clothes, it’s easy to forget about all the walking you’re doing and enjoy the tour.

What passport & visa information do I need for your Israel tours?

U.S. citizens need a valid U.S. passport with at least six months validity beyond their intended stay to enter Israel. Make two photocopies of your passport. Leave one copy at home and carry the other separately from your original. Israel: U.S. and Canadian Citizens do not need a Visa when entering Israel. Non U. S. /Canadian Citizens are responsible to fulfill appropriate entry requirements of destination. Contact your Consulate office for requirements.

What common languages will be spoken during your Israel tours?

Hebrew, Arabic and English.

What currency can I use on your Israel tours?

The U.S. dollar is widely accepted across Israel, and we suggest bringing about $30 for each day you’ll be on tour. U.S. dollars are recommended for use for small purchases and lunches. Lunches typically cost $15-20. It is important to bring about 20 $1 bills as some bathrooms charge a small fee for use. Credit cards may also be used for larger purchases. ATMs in Israel are all connected to European and American banking systems. Please be advised that the ATM machines dispense money in SHEKELS – NOT U.S. DOLLARS. Please notify your bank before traveling overseas.

Do I need to bring a converter for the Israel tour?

Israel uses the European plug with two round pins. You will need to bring along the necessary converters and adapters to operate any 120 volt appliances such as hair dryers and electric razors as well as camera and cell phone chargers. Electricity in Israel is 220 volts 50 Hz.

What is the time zone for your Israel tours?

The time zone for Israel is seven hours ahead of EST and two hours ahead of GMT.

What climate should I expect during your Israel tours?

In Israel the climate is temperate, and temperatures all year-round are reasonable. Israel has two main seasons: winter (from November to March) is cold and rainy in most parts of the country; summer (from April to October) is hot and dry with little or no rainfall. The desert areas can be extremely hot in summer time.

Recent Reviews on Trustpilot, BBB, & Google

View what others are saying about our Israel tours on Trustpilot , BBB , and Google !

"Pilgrim tours is who I'll be recommending people to travel with. We've been trying to get to Israel for two years and finally made it!! Great company from booking to on the ground with great guides. All details taken care of with great hotels, bus, and the best guides!! Wonderful experience!"

"We had a great experience in Israel with Pilgrim Tours. Everything went very well and there were no glitches or problems of any kind. The bus and driver were top notch as were the hotels and daily breakfast buffets. Our tour guide was great as his depth of knowledge of the people, history and languages Israel was quite amazing. We will very likely use Pilgrim again in the future."

"We have toured with Pilgrim Tours three times and what a blessing. Accommodations, excursions, information and food were all high quality. Post pandemic, we were so thankful to return to Israel."

"I couldn't have asked for more for a trip to the Holy Land than what Pilgrim Tours provided me. It was the perfect balance of spiritual reverence, history, geography, and social issues. I am so grateful for the experience that I had on this trip."

"Our church group just returned from taking a "Best of Israel" ten day tour. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I am so glad we chose Pilgrim tours. From our excellent hotel accommodations, to our wonderful tour guide, we enjoyed everything. Our trip exceeded our expectations. I would recommend Pilgrim Tours to anyone who is planning a trip to the Holy Land. We definitely plan to travel with them again."

View some of the sites from our Israel tours!

Experience the Holy Land on a Level that Most Tours Miss

Israel tours with dr. james tabor.

Currently, all scheduled Tabor tours are filled. Stay tuned for future Holy Land tours led by Dr. James Tabor.

The Ultimate Tanakh Tour with Ross K. Nichols and Jono Vandor!

Stay tuned for dates for The Ultimate Tanakh Tour. This exciting adventure begins in Egypt, where we will see many great sites (think pyramids, The Sphynx, Valley of the Kings, etc.) from Cairo to the traditional Sinai at Saint Catherine’s Monastery. We then cross the Gulf of Aqaba at Nuweiba (where some propose the children of Israel crossed) into modern-day Jordan. We will visit the Wadi Rum, Petra, Mount Nebo, and more in Jordan! We will tour Israel, including many new sites we have not done on previous tours. We have included a trip to Har Karkom, the only proposed site for biblical Sinai/Horeb in Israel. We designed this tour to follow the biblical narratives – from Egypt, to east of the Jordan, and finally, into Israel.

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United Travel

Your christian guide in the holy land since 1966.

The Holy Land – Israel, Palestine, the West Bank, Jordan – and the nearby destinations such as Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Rome, are often the most profound and meaningful traveling you will ever do. The deep religious history and heritage of the land, the places made holy by the events of the Bible and by the life of Christ, the Apostles, and the early Church make it absolutely essential that you experience it through both knowledgeable and faithful eyes.

The Holy Land means many things to many people. It is the Biblical homeland for the Jewish people. The city of Jerusalem and the Haram El-Sharif are the third holiest place in the world for Muslims. It is the homeland of the Palestinian people. For Christian travelers, a tour of the Holy Land includes all these emphases, but it must be first and foremost a spiritual pilgrimage, which visits the places made holy by Biblical and Church history in faith and devotion. And it must be enjoyable, fun, and well paced.

United Travel offers to your group this perspective on Holy Land and Middle-Eastern travel. For over 50 years, we have brought Christian tour groups to this land with a sensitivity to the religious goals they have. Our itineraries remain comprehensive and include all religious, historical and archaeological dimensions expected.

Accordingly, our resource list for speakers and lecturers was enlarged to meet the interests of each group, especially those whose programs were designed for a specific purpose. Even the number of only-women clergy groups have increased, with itineraries designed for in-depth specific New Testament topics.

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Passover 2024: Fun activities to do in Jerusalem

It’s up to you to choose which activities your family will enjoy. whatever you do, you’ll be sure to have fun in and around jerusalem this passover.

Birkat Kohanim – Western Wall

• When : Thursday April 25, at 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
• Price : Free
• FIJ Tip : Plan to walk into the Old City and to walk back.

Holiday-themed Festivals & Special Events

Spring festival at ein yael.

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday April 26, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Price : Family ticket (five immediate family members) NIS 325; adults NIS 68; seniors NIS 55; disabled NIS 40; security services, reservists & evacuated families NIS 28.
• Details : [email protected]

Join Yonina on a musical walking tour. (credit: Yonina)

Passover musical tour of jerusalem with yonina.

• When : Thursday April 25, from 10 a.m.-noon.
• Price : Adults NIS 120; children NIS 60.
• Details : [email protected]

Passover at Kol HaOt

• When : Thursday April 25, at 4 p.m. (guided gallery tour), 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (Singing Experience). Talk with artists, Wednesday April 24 at 11 a.m. Guided tours Wednesday April 24 at 4 p.m. (Hebrew), 4:30 p.m. (English), Thursday, April 25, 12 noon & 4:30 p.m. (English), 12:30 & 4 p.m. (Hebrew), Friday April 26, 11 a.m. (in Hebrew), 11:30 a.m. (in English). Gallery opening times Wednesday April 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday April 25, 12 noon – 7 p.m., Friday April 26, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m..
• Price : Singing Experience & Gallery Talk. Individual ticket NIS 25; group ticket (5 people) NIS 100. Daily guided tours throughout Hol Hamoed. Free. You just need to pre-register.
• Details : [email protected]

Ancient Shilo

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Price : Private tours NIS 450; individual tickets NIS 39; children & students (5-18 years) and seniors, NIS 35.
• Details : [email protected]

An Amazing Race

• When : Friday April 26, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Price : NIS 100 per person
• Details : [email protected]

Mimouna Celebrations

• When : Monday April 29. Starts an hour after the end of the holiday.

Holiday-themed Tours & Workshops

Passover tours at the israel museum.

• When : Private tours throughout Hol Hamoed at a time of your choice. Public tour Wednesday April 24, from 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Price : Public tour NIS 55-NIS 65; private family tours start at NIS 1,300.
• Details : [email protected]

Celebration at the Farm in the Ben Himnon Valley

• When : Wednesday April 24 and Thursday April 25 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Friday April 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Details : [email protected]

Elijah’s Cup Glass-Blowing Workshop

• When : Private workshops throughout Hol Hamoed at a time of your choice.
• Price : NIS 680 per couple. Each additional participant is NIS 220.
• Details : [email protected]

Sun-Printed Matzah Covers & Afikoman Bags

• When : Private workshops at a time of your choice.
• Price : NIS 250 per person (3 people minimum).
• Details : [email protected]

Make your own artisanal Seder plate

• Price : $250 (NIS 875) and up (depending on what design you choose)
• Details : [email protected]

Outside Jerusalem

Matzah making at meshek48, kibbutz rosh tzurim.

• When : Sunday, April 21 (schedule directly with Devorah) 
• Prices : NIS 100 per person (open workshop); NIS 2,000 (private workshop)
• Details : [email protected]

Kakadu Passover Family Festival, Ella Valley

• When : Wednesday through Friday, April 24-26 at 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
• Price : Minimum NIS 60 per person
• Details : [email protected]

The Ten Plagues at the Biblical Museum of Natural History, Beit Shemesh

• When : Throughout Hol Hamoed
• Price : Adults NIS 50; children NIS 40 
• Details : [email protected]

Elijah’s Cup Judaica Wood Workshop, Kfar Etzion, Gush Etzion

• When: Private workshops throughout Hol Hamoed at a time of your choice. Ask about open workshops.
• Price: NIS 2,200 for a private workshop. NIS 280 per person for an open workshop. Reservations required.
• Details: [email protected]

Glass-Fused Seder Plates, Moshav Mevo Horon

• Price : NIS 160 per person (three people minimum).
• Details : [email protected]

Resin Art, Beit Shemesh

• When : Schedule your session at a time that suits you.
• Price : Starts at NIS 125 per person (depending on the project).
• Details : [email protected]

Guided Tours of Hebron

• When : Ask about the special schedule for Passover tours
• Price : $50 (NIS 190) per person. Free for kids under age 5.
• Details : [email protected]

Other Activities

Hop-on, hop-off bus tours.

• When: Daily (including Hol Hamoed) between 10 a.m.-4 p.m., except Friday, Shabbat, and Jewish holidays.
• Price: Adults NIS 107; children (aged 5-15) NIS 90; seniors NIS 95; free for children under age 5.
• Details: [email protected]

Passover at the Jerusalem Cinematheque

• When : April 21 – May 5. Check times of individual screenings.
• Price : From NIS 20 – NIS 50 per person
• Details : [email protected]

EZ Raiders & Bike Rentals

• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed
• Price : 1.5 hour EZ Raider tours NIS 299 (drivers aged 16+); children NIS 150 (3-15); 2.5 hour bike tours NIS 299. 
• Details : [email protected]

The Tisch Family Biblical Zoo

• When: Sunday, April 14 – Monday, April 29. Weekdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Erev Chag, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., chol hamoed, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Erev Seventh Day Chag, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Price : Family Tickets (4+ people): NIS 120, all other tickets range from NIS NIS 30 – NIS 71.
• Details : [email protected]

The Gottesman Family Israel Aquarium

• When :  Erev Chag, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Chag, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Chol Hamoed Wednesday & Thursday, April 24 & 25, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, April 26, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Shabbat April 27, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday April 28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. & Monday, April 29, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Price : Family Tickets (4+ people): NIS 120, all other tickets range from NIS 30 – 65 NIS.
• Details : [email protected]

Dig-for-a-Day Archaeology Experience

• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed (check times & availability online)
• Price : Public dig: Adults NIS 95; children (5-18 years old) NIS 72; mixed group (minimum 20 people) NIS 67 
• Details : [email protected]

The Time Elevator

• Price : NIS 54
• Details : [email protected]

Climbing Wall

• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed.
• Price : NIS 45 – NIS 65 per person
• Details : [email protected]

Jerusalem Ropes Course at Ammunition Hill

• Price : Depends on the number of people. Private groups can be arranged.
• Details : [email protected]

Jerusalem Xtreme Paintball

• Price : Depends on activity
• Details : [email protected]

Hadara Ceramics

• Price : NIS 165 per person (2 hours); NIS 210 per person (3 hours)
• Details : [email protected]

Rave Mosaics

• Price : NIS 200 per person
• Details : [email protected]

Laughter Workshops

• Price : Varies depending on a number of factors. Contact Debbie for details.
• Details : [email protected]

Yvel Factory Tour, Mevaseret Zion

• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Advance booking required.
• Price : Free for tourists with passports; NIS 25 for locals.
• Details : [email protected]

Genesis Land, outside Ma’aleh Adumim

• When : Daily, throughout Hol Hamoed.
• Price : Family package (ages 4+) NIS 105 per person; camel rides between NIS 35-NIS 55 per person.
• Details : [email protected]

Jeep Tours of the Judean Mountains

• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed. Pre-booking is required.
• Price : NIS 1,100 per jeep (seats 6-8 people) for 2 hours.
• Details : [email protected]

Horseback Riding & Pony Trails, Yishuv Yad Shmona

• Price : Contact Arik for prices
• Details : [email protected]

Dead Sea Bike Rides, Northern Dead Sea

• FIJ Tip : For families with younger children, ask about tandem and add-on options for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers.
• When : Daily throughout Hol Hamoed. Registration required.
• Details : [email protected]

Mezuzah Making, Ma’aleh Adumim

• Price : NIS 120 – NIS 360 (depending on the size of the group)
• Details : [email protected]

Laser Tag, Northern Dead Sea

• When : 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily throughout Hol Hamoed.
• Price : Laser Tag (up to 15 people) NIS 1,800 for 1 hour. Ask about prices for other activities.
• Details : [email protected]

Galita Chocolate Workshop, Kibbutz Tzuba

• When : First-day festival eve, Monday, April 22 at 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Chol Hamoed, Wednesday, April 24, and Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and the last-day festival eve, Sunday, April 28 at 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Price : NIS 109
• Details : [email protected]

Passover in Gush Etzion

The zomet institute, alon shvut.

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25 from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (last tour is at 4 p.m.).
• Price : Family ticket NIS 140 (immediate family); individual tickets NIS 35.
• Details : [email protected]

Caliber 3, Gush Etzion

• Price : Depends on chosen package.
• Details : [email protected]

Creative Crafts Café, Kfar Etzion, Gush Etzion

• When : Wednesday April 24 – Tuesday April 30 (check times for individual workshops)
• Price : Starts at NIS 50 per person (depending on activity).
• Details : [email protected]

Sheep-Herding & Cheese-Making Workshops at Kashuela

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25; schedule directly with the farm.
• Price : Cheese-making workshop NIS 40 per person (minimum 30 people). Sheep-herding workshop NIS 50 per person (minimum 30 people).
• Details : [email protected]

Night Trek to the Dead Sea

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25, from 9 p.m.-8 a.m.
• Price : NIS 175 per person

Trek the Jerusalem Trail

• When : Wednesday April 24 &/or Thursday April 25, from 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Price : One day NIS 65; both days NIS 120

Lantern Tour of the Russian Monastery

• When : Wednesday April 24 & Thursday April 25, from 7:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m.
• Price : Adults (18+) NIS 30; children (ages 3+) NIS 20

Guided Tours of Gush Etzion

Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

United flight cancellations stymie Passover travel plans 

Some lawmakers criticize the decisions by U.S. airlines but don’t see a role for Congress to play in restarting flight routes to Israel

In the moments after Iran fired a barrage of hundreds of missiles at Israel on Saturday night, Rabbi Marc Israel sat in his rented apartment in Jerusalem, panicking. His parents were about to board a plane at Ben Gurion Airport. Would it be safe for them? 

Their plane back to the United States departed just after midnight, one of the last planes to leave Tel Aviv before Israeli airspace was closed to allow Israel and its allies to take down the Iranian missiles. But while Ben Gurion Airport has since reopened, the sole U.S. carrier that had been operating in Israel — United Airlines — has canceled all flights until further notice. Its decision has upended travel plans for thousands of people who had flights booked to Israel ahead of Passover next week. 

Israel, a rabbi at a Conservative synagogue in Maryland who is on a month-long sabbatical volunteering in Israel, was lucky; his parents were able to leave Israel, and his in-laws, who were coming to Israel for Passover, arrived in the country just 24 hours after they were scheduled to. But they had been booked on Lufthansa, which shut down operations briefly but has since resumed service. 

“People reached out to us to say, ‘Hey, do you know of any flights?’ Or, ‘How do we get there? How do we come back?’” said Doni Schwartz, co-founder of PassoverListings.com , a platform that helps people book travel for Passover, which begins on Monday night.

It’s a familiar quandary for anyone who has traveled, or attempted to travel, from the U.S. to Israel or vice versa since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7. For months afterward, the only airline flying direct flights between North America and Israel was El Al, Israel’s national carrier. Flights were empty for weeks, and prices skyrocketed. Airlines cited safety concerns and limits of their insurance policies as reasons for keeping service to Israel suspended. 

Several European airlines began servicing Israel in January and February, and United only resumed limited service last month — the sole American airline to do so. Delta Airlines has announced plans to resume flights from New York’s JFK Airport to Tel Aviv in June, which a spokesperson said is still the plan, though the airline reserves the right to change its mind depending on current events. The British budget airline EasyJet this week canceled all flights to Israel until October.

“It’s been a very difficult situation for people who want to get in or get out [of Israel], just based on the amount of supply, but from what we’re hearing, people are changing their plans,” said Doni Schwartz, co-founder of PassoverListings.com.

A United spokesperson told Jewish Insider on Tuesday that flights into Tel Aviv and Amman, Jordan, were canceled that day, but declined to share future plans. “We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on upcoming flights with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews,” a United spokesperson said. 

A search on United’s website doesn’t show any scheduled direct flights from Newark, N.J., until Monday afternoon. That flight arrives in Israel on Tuesday morning — more than 12 hours after Passover begins, meaning anyone on board who celebrates would miss the Monday night Seder. A Thursday direct one-way flight from JFK to Tel Aviv on El Al cost $5,500 as of Wednesday morning. ( eJewishPhilanthropy reporter Haley Cohen, whose United flight was canceled, said the airline did not help rebook her to Israel on another carrier.) 

“It’s been a very difficult situation for people who want to get in or get out [of Israel], just based on the amount of supply, but from what we’re hearing, people are changing their plans,” said Schwartz.

Israel’s tourism industry has been in a major slump since the Hamas attacks in October. The country’s tourism minister recently traveled to a Christian conference in Tennessee to encourage American Christians to visit Israel. 

Passover is one of the most popular times to visit Israel. Jewish day schools around the world are closed for the week, and many hotels in Israel offer kosher-for-Passover food — an appealing option for anyone who doesn’t want to clean and prepare their own homes, or cook large celebratory meals for a week. The holiday will likely bring the largest number of tourists to Israel since October. But those who have come to Israel in recent weeks and months are reconsidering their travel options, given the unreliability of non-Israeli carriers.

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) told JI that he spoke to Americans and Israelis in recent months who switched from United to El Al as their carrier of choice over the cancellations. “Obviously, all those different executives are going to make their own decisions on it, but the passengers will as well,” Lankford said.

“When I was in Israel, it was interesting to me to talk to some folks that are multi-year, whatever level, platinum United folks or others that are now flying El Al,” Lankford continued. “They are saying that even when they [the airlines] were flying again, they [the customers] were furious that they stopped flying, and so they’ve chosen to be able to fly El Al.”

Still, lawmakers largely didn’t see a role for congressional action to push for restarting flight routes to Israel.

“There may well be [a way], but I doubt we’re gonna get cooperation,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said. “Passing a bill would be the longest way home, it would be easier to get the cooperation of the Biden administration and implement some sort of executive order. But I don’t think that is likely to happen.”

“The real threat would be if they [Iran] launched another large attack salvo at an airfield that was not a military airfield, let’s say it was Tel Aviv, at the airport. You can hit an airplane on the ground,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former Navy pilot, said of the risks U.S. airlines have to consider when sending their planes into Israel.

In 2014, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, the Federal Aviation Administration banned U.S. flights into and out of Israel for 36 hours after a rocket fired by Hamas in the Gaza Strip landed one mile from Ben Gurion Airport. The move was strongly criticized by the Israeli government before it was reversed. Now, though, the FAA has not put a ban in place — it’s the airlines that have decided on their own not to fly into Israel. (An FAA spokesperson declined to comment.)   

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said that while he wasn’t sure if the FAA could address insurance or security risks involved in conducting those flights, “You’d hate to see the ability to travel back and forth stymied or reduced in any way.”

“I think private companies and also the U.S. government have to be considering the safety of our population. And you have Americans that are flying to Tel Aviv. I think it’s a concern and it sounds like these two airlines think it’s a concern as well,” Kelly said of United and Delta. “I think it’s valid, but I also think that Israel along with our help and our allies’ help demonstrated how inept the Iranians are, so I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told JI that he would “do anything within reason to give them [U.S. airlines] the incentives to fly to Israel,” calling Iran’s strike on Israel over the weekend “another sign of” Tehran’s efforts to “isolate” the Jewish state.

Aside from European airlines, some Gulf carriers — most notably Emirates — continue to fly to Tel Aviv.

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Muted Reactions to Israeli Strikes on Iran Hint at De-Escalation

Israel had vowed retaliation for Iran’s attack last weekend, but the strikes reported overnight were limited, and Iran downplayed them.

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Farnaz Fassihi ,  Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley

Here are the latest developments.

The Israeli military struck Iran early on Friday, according to two Israeli and three Iranian officials, in what appeared to be Israel’s first military response to Iran’s attack last weekend but one whose scope, at least initially, appeared to be limited.

The Iranian officials said that a strike had hit a military air base near the city of Isfahan, in central Iran. Initial reaction in both Israel and Iran was muted , which analysts said was a sign that the rivals were seeking to lower the temperature of their conflict. World leaders, who for nearly a week have urged Israel and Iran to avoid starting a broader war in the region, called for both sides to de-escalate tensions on Friday.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the strike. A senior U.S. official said that Israel had notified the United States through multiple channels shortly before the attack. All the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The explosions came less than a week after Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel — nearly all of which were shot down — in response to an April 1 strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian officials. That attack brought the decades-long shadow war between Israel and Iran — waged on land, at sea, in air and in cyberspace — more clearly into the open.

Here’s what else to know:

A Western official and two Iranian officials said that Israel used both missiles fired from warplanes and drones in the strike , suggesting that the attack included more advanced firepower than initial reports indicated. Iranian officials initially told The New York Times that the attack had been carried out only by small drones, possibly launched from inside Iran, and that radar systems had not detected unidentified aircraft entering Iranian airspace. They said that a separate group of small drones was shot down in the region of Tabriz, roughly 500 miles north of Isfahan.

In public, Iranian officials sought to downplay the strike. Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran’s army, said explosions heard early Friday in Isfahan “were from our air defense firing at a suspicious object,” and that there had been “no damage.” Iranian news agencies appeared keen to show that things were “back to normal” in the city.

President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran had warned that “the tiniest act of aggression” on his country’s soil would draw a response. But in the hours after Israel’s strike, there have been no public calls for retribution by Iranian officials. One lawmaker, Seyed Nezamedin Mousavi, called the strike “ridiculous,” saying it showed Israel “is content with these ineffective actions.”

Isfahan is one of Iran’s most famous and historic cities . The area also hosts a number of Iranian military sites. Iranian media reported that nuclear facilities in Isfahan had not been hit.

Israeli leaders came close to ordering widespread strikes in Iran on the night Iran attacked, officials said, but the war cabinet postponed a decision. Mr. Biden and other world leaders urged Israel for days not to retaliate in a way that would inflame a wider Middle East war while it fights Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both allies of Iran.

Alissa J. Rubin

An explosion damages a military base in Iraq used by an Iran-backed armed group.

Iraq’s joint military command says one person was killed and eight were injured in an explosion early Saturday at a base used by an Iranian-backed armed group, Harakat al Nujaba, in Iraq’s Babylon Province.

In a carefully worded statement, Iraq’s military did not attribute the explosion to an air attack with a missile or a drone. “Air Defense Command confirmed that there was no drone or jet fighter in the airspace of Babylon Province before and during the explosion,” the statement said.

Privately, however, military officials say it appears that at least one projectile hit inside the Kalsu base’s perimeter. A video taken shortly after the event and posted on social media showed damaged buildings and a large rubble-filled crater. A second video showed several parts of the base on fire.

According to Iraq’s joint command, the base is used by several elements of the Iraqi security forces including the Iraqi Army and police as well as the Popular Mobilization Forces , or P.M.F., an umbrella organization.

The P.M.F. includes some brigades that are backed by Iran. The one stationed at this base, Harakat al Nujaba, has participated in attacks on U.S. installations in Iraq and Syria. More recently it has joined with other Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Lebanon to attack Israeli territory.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike.

The U.S. military, which has carried out strikes on Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq in the past, said in a statement released shortly after the attack that it had not participated in strikes on locations in Iraq. The Israeli military declined to comment.

The explosion came a day after Israel attacked a military air base near the city of Isfahan in central Iran, according to two Israeli and three Iranian officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. That attack, on Friday, appeared to be Israel’s first military response to Iran’s huge drone and missile attack on Israeli soil nearly a week ago.

Falih Hassan contributed reporting from Baghdad.

Farnaz Fassihi

Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who is in New York attending U.N. meetings, told Iran’s state news agency that the small quadcopter targeting a military base in Isfahan did not have casualties or damage. “Israel is determined to portray its defeat as a victory,” Mr. Amir Abdollahian said, the most senior official to comment on the attacks and draw a link to Israel publicly.

Christoph Koettl and Christiaan Triebert

Satellite imagery shows that a precision attack damaged an air defense system at an Iranian base.

The Israeli attack on an Iranian air base in Isfahan hit a crucial part of an air defense system, a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery found.

Images showed that the precision attack at the Eighth Shekari Air Base damaged or destroyed the “flap-lid” radar , which is used in S-300 air defense systems to track incoming targets.

The Times used several satellite images in its analysis; the location of the damaged area was first pointed out on the social media platform X by Aurora Intel , and the findings have also been confirmed by a former U.S. government imagery analyst, Chris Biggers.

The radar is typically surrounded by several vehicles, including four trucks carrying missiles. Before the strike, the missiles were seen positioned next to the radar. After the strike, they had been moved and did not appear visibly damaged. It was not clear why the missiles had been moved. However, the fact that they appear undamaged indicated that the attack had a very precise target, according to Mr. Biggers.

Other areas of the air base and adjacent airport also appeared to be undamaged. The precision of the strike, deep within Iran and with several sensitive sites close by, suggested Israel chose the specific and narrow target, the air defense system.

According to the Missile Defense Project of the Washington think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, Iran has acquired Russian-made S-300 air defense systems to deter Israeli and other airstrikes.

Reporting from the Capitol

Liberal Democrats urge ‘no’ vote on Israel aid to pressure Biden on Gaza.

A group of left-leaning House Democrats is urging its colleagues to oppose the $26 billion aid package for Israel, hoping to maximize the number of “no” votes from the party and send a warning to President Biden about the depth of his political coalition’s discontent over his support for Israel’s tactics in Gaza.

Framing the upcoming vote as a make-or-break moral choice akin to Congress’s votes to authorize and fund the Iraq war, progressive leaders in the House are working to muster a sizable bloc of Democratic opposition to the aid measure, which is expected to pass on Saturday and become law in the coming days.

“In the wake of those votes, people came around much, much later and said, ‘We shouldn’t have allowed that to go forward,’” Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said of the decades-ago debate over Iraq. “And I think that this is that moment.”

Representative Joaquin Castro, Democrat of Texas, called it a “defining vote,” adding, “We’re either going to participate in the carnage, or we’re not.”

There is little doubt that the bill, which would send roughly $13 billion in military assistance to Israel as it continues its offensive in Gaza, will pass the House, along with money for Ukraine, Taiwan and other American allies.

But progressive Democrats estimated that 40 to 60 members of their party may oppose it on the House floor on Saturday. That would be a striking signal from Congress, where ironclad bipartisan backing for Israel has long been the norm. And it would highlight the fraught divisions the war in Gaza has sown within the Democratic Party, even as more Democrats including Mr. Biden have begun to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the conflict and urge him to better protect civilians.

The legislation would allocate $5 billion to Israel’s defense capabilities and $9 billion for “worldwide humanitarian aid,” including for civilians in Gaza. But it would not place further conditions on how Israel could use American military aid, nor block future arms transfers from the United States as an increasing number of Democrats have sought to do.

Democrats who are leading the push against the Israel aid bill said they strongly supported the Jewish state and its right to defend itself, and would vote in favor of sending military aid that supports Israel’s defense capabilities, such as by replenishing the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Iron Beam defense systems. They also denounced the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas that prompted the war, and said the hostages taken by Hamas must be released.

But they argued that approving more offensive weaponry without conditions was an untenable moral and political position that would amount to an endorsement of Mr. Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war, including his intention to invade Rafah over the objections of the Biden administration. More than 33,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the start of the conflict, according to the health ministry there, and the population is facing a hunger crisis.

“I understand the need for defensive weapons for Israel, particularly in light of the attack by Iran,” said Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, who ran his first campaign on an antiwar platform and helped lead efforts to end U.S. participation in the war in Yemen. “But there is no justification to provide bombs and weapons to Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza that is killing thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children.”

Saturday’s vote will recall a similar situation from 2007, when the speaker at the time, Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, split a piece of spending legislation to allow Democrats to register their opposition to funding the Iraq war while backing a domestic funding bill. Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, similarly divided the foreign aid package to be considered on Saturday in order to get each element across the finish line in the face of distinct coalitions of resistance to different pieces of the bill.

In a critical test vote on Friday , the House agreed, 316 to 94, to bring up the package, with 39 Democrats — mostly progressives — joining 55 Republicans in opposition.

“This is a moment for members of Congress who support a safe and secure Israel to send a message that giving Netanyahu more offensive weapons is not a path for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians,” Representative Becca Balint, Democrat of Vermont and the first Jewish member of Congress to call for a cease-fire, said in an interview. “To give Netanyahu more offensive weapons at this stage, I believe, is to condone the destruction of Gaza that we’ve seen in the last six months. And it’s also a green light for an invasion of Rafah.”

Representative Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat who led the opposition to funding for the Iraq war in 2007, said the conversations among Democrats in Congress opposing continued U.S. backing for the war in Gaza were “not unlike” those that took place 17 years ago.

“We may well be casting the vote on whether a much wider war takes place, and whether American weapons go that result in the death of thousands of innocent people,” Mr. Doggett said.

The Democrats who oppose the aid package for Israel represent a minority of their caucus. But they see a “no” vote as part of a strategy to pressure Mr. Biden to condition aid and halt future offensive weapons transfers. Through many meetings, text chains and conversations with the administration, they have worked to shift the president’s approach to Israel, while underscoring the electoral risks Mr. Biden faces among voters who helped power him to the White House in 2020 and are now furious over his handling of the war.

“The only way to get a course correction is for a sizable number within the Democratic caucus to say it must shift,” Ms. Balint said.

Representative Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat who has been pressing Mr. Biden to withhold offensive weapons from Israel, said a big “no” vote would strengthen the president’s hand to do so.

“It helps the administration to have some number of Democrats express ourselves in this way,” he said.

Representative Greg Casar, Democrat of Texas, said he hoped a substantial number of Democrats opposing the bill would give the Biden administration greater leverage to influence the Israeli government’s approach to the war.

“I hope this vote will show the world that there is a really significant segment of the United States that doesn’t want to see expanded and widening wars,” he said.

Farnaz Fassihi and Eric Schmitt

Israel used missiles as well as drones in its overnight strike on Iran, officials say.

Israeli warplanes fired missiles on Iran during a retaliatory strike early Friday morning, one Western official and two Iranian officials said, suggesting that the attack included more advanced firepower than initial reports indicated.

It was not immediately clear the types of missiles used, from where they were fired, whether any were intercepted by Iran’s defenses or where they landed.

The Western official and the Iranian officials requested anonymity to discuss classified information.

Previously, Iranian officials said Friday’s attack on a military base in central Iran was conducted by small aerial drones, most likely launched from inside Iranian territory. A separate group of small drones, they said soon after the attack, was shot down in the region of Tabriz, roughly 500 miles north of Isfahan.

Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack and would not comment on the use of planes or missiles.

Israel’s strike came in response to an Iranian attack last weekend in which Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. A majority of the weapons used in that salvo were fired from Iranian territory and intercepted by Israel and its allies before causing any damage.

By contrast, the Iranian officials said, Iran’s military did not detect anything entering Iran’s airspace on Friday, including drones, missiles and aircraft. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that no missile attacks occurred and that Iran’s air defense system was not activated.

Iran’s decision to launch its strike primarily from its own soil last week was perceived by Israel as an escalation in the countries’ long-simmering shadow war. The Iranians believe the large salvo is helping with deterrence. Throughout the yearslong conflict, the two countries have traded clandestine attacks, including targeted assassinations, cyberattacks and conventional strikes conducted from and within third countries.

Iran’s attack last week was itself prompted by an Israeli strike on April 1, in which Israeli aircraft killed several Iranian armed forces commanders in Syria.

By using drones seemingly launched from inside Iran’s territory rather than its own, Israel hinted at a willingness to turn down the temperature on the conflict while also demonstrating an ability to conduct attacks that Iran could not detect.

One Iranian official, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said that even though the strike did little damage, the likelihood that drones were fired from under Iran’s nose sent a message about Israel’s capabilities.

A guided missile fired from an undetected warplane, even if it landed outside Iranian territory, would most likely deliver a similar threat.

Officials from both countries remained largely quiet about Friday’s attack, a gesture that appeared aimed at de-escalating a conflict some fear could spiral into a broader regional war. Israel’s silence on the attack, an Iranian official said, would allow Tehran to treat the strike as it had comparable previous attacks and not prompt an immediate response.

Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Iran’s Parliament speaker, said that Israel’s limited attack on Iran showed that Iran had achieved its goal of deterrence. Israel’s refusal to openly claim responsibility, he said, amounts to a victory for Iran.

Israel’s attack, he said on the messaging app Telegram, was meant to show that it had the “capability to access Iran but in practice it also showed that it has accepted that it should not repeat its miscalculation.”

Peter Baker

The White House maintained public silence about the Israeli strike on Iran. “I’m not going to speak or speculate about any of the reports that are out there,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said at her daily briefing. John Kirby, the national security spokesman who typically speaks on foreign policy issues, did not join the briefing.

Jean-Pierre did repeat the president’s standard position urging against widening the war: “We do not want to see this conflict escalate. We continue to consult with our allies and partners, including in the region, to reduce further risk of escalation in the region.”

Raja Abdulrahim

Israel reportedly strikes an air defense site in Syria.

The Israeli military struck a Syrian air defense site in southern Syria with missiles early Friday, causing material damage, though no casualties were reported, according to Syrian state news media.

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, provided no other details and Israel did not comment on whether it was responsible for the attack, in keeping with its usual practice.

The strike happened around the same time that Israel carried out a strike on a military air base near the city of Isfahan, in central Iran.

That strike came less than a week after Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel — nearly all of which were shot down — in retaliation for an April 1 attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officers.

Friday’s strike in Syria targeted a radar system in the southern province of Dara’a, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain.

The Syrian military detected Israeli aircraft entering Syrian airspace, but its air defenses did not try to intercept the strikes, the Observatory said.

Iranian-backed armed groups throughout Syria have been on high alert since Iran’s strikes on Israel last weekend, the Observatory said. The groups obscured their positions and gave some of their leaders a week of leave.

Iran is closely allied with Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, and with the Syrian government, and both Hezbollah and Iran’s Quds Force operate in Syria. For years, Iranian proxies like Hezbollah have launched strikes at northern Israel.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Iran and its allies with strikes in Syria, including in Damascus, the capital, and Aleppo.

Attacks across Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon have escalated since the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas on Israel.

Since the first of the year, Israel has carried out nearly three dozen attacks in Syria, destroying buildings, military headquarters and weapon and ammunition warehouses, the Observatory said. The strikes have killed 129 fighters and 12 civilians, the group said.

Adam Rasgon

Jordan will not allow its airspace to be violated by either Israel or Iran, Jordan’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call, the official Jordanian news agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan lies between the two enemies, and it played a key role in helping shoot down the barrage of missiles and drones Iran fired at Israel on Saturday.

Leily Nikounazar and Gaya Gupta

Residents of Isfahan describe their fears of an escalated war.

Daily life appeared to return to normal in Isfahan on Friday, according to Iranian state news media and a resident who was interviewed, hours after Israel’s attack on a nearby military base continued the cycle of strikes and counterstrikes between the two countries.

But tensions from the overnight attack reverberated through the city, and some residents described the threat of full-fledged war as crippling — despite analysts’ assessment that both nations were trying to avoid further escalation.

Mehrdad, 43, an engineer from Isfahan, said the latest retaliation left him and his pregnant wife feeling stressed and unwell. He asked that his last name not be used for fear of retribution.

“The future of this country concerns me,” he said. “I believe nothing good is expected.”

Though he said that the city had returned “back to its normal” and reactions from officials were muted — which he believed was to help make people feel at ease — many residents remain scared after a stressful night of explosions.

For the first six months of the war between Israel and Hamas, Iran’s involvement in fighting had been limited to its proxies, including the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthi militia. But after Iran’s first direct strike on Israel last weekend, Mehrdad said, “things are coming to the surface.”

He hoped that diplomatic mediation would put an end to the threat of war, and he worried that the county’s infrastructure would be “ruined” by further Israeli attacks.

“Our economic situation is awful. We have 50 percent annual inflation,” he said. “Now guess what would happen if the war materialized. What would happen to our living conditions in this country?”

Mahsa, 34, an accountant from Isfahan who also asked that her last name not be used for fear of retribution, described a tense atmosphere of fear and instability. The economy is often the main topic of conversation when people gather, she said, and many are worried about the consequences of a wider war.

“When Iran attacked, we were all worried and we really didn’t know what to expect,” she said, describing the cycle of retaliation between Israel and Iran as a “show game.”

“Of course, after this Israeli attack, the direction of the game will be determined,” she added. “Either a full-scale war, or the end of this line, or just threats.”

The distress is crushing. Mahsa said her mental health had deteriorated, describing an instance last week when she broke down sobbing in the middle of the street for seemingly no reason while on a run. Dreams seem “more impossible to achieve, day by day,” she said.

“We don’t have much mental energy left,” she added.

An earlier version of this article misstated the gender of Mahsa, an accountant from Isfahan, Iran. She is female, not male.

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The seemingly small scale of Israel's attack may give both countries an exit from the cycle of escalation. “It appears we are out of the danger zone and, because Israel’s strike was limited, it has allowed both countries to back down for now,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House.

The few Iranian officials who have talked publicly about the attack have downplayed it, suggesting a bid to de-escalate. A lawmaker, Seyed Nezamedin Mousavi, called the strike "ridiculous,” saying it showed Israel “is content with these ineffective actions.” A former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, dismissed it as "fireworks."

Cassandra Vinograd

Here is a look at the recent history of Iran-Israel hostilities.

For decades, Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war across the Middle East , trading attacks by land, sea, air and in cyberspace. A recent round of strikes — mainly an aerial barrage by Iran against Israel last weekend — has brought the conflict more clearly into the open and raised fears of a broader war.

A retaliatory Israeli strike on an Iranian air base on Friday, however, appeared limited in scope, and analysts said it suggested an effort to pull back from the dangerous cycle and potentially move the war back into the shadows.

Here is a recent history of the conflict:

August 2019: An Israeli airstrike killed two Iranian-trained militants in Syria, a drone set off a blast near a Hezbollah office in Lebanon and an airstrike in Qaim, Iraq, killed a commander of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia. Israel accused Iran at the time of trying to establish an overland arms-supply line through Iraq and northern Syria to Lebanon, and analysts said the strikes were aimed at stopping Iran and signaling to its proxies that Israel would not tolerate a fleet of smart missiles on its borders.

January 2020: Israel greeted with satisfaction the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani , the commander of the foreign-facing arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in an American drone strike in Baghdad.

Iran hit back by attacking two bases in Iraq that housed American troops with a barrage of missiles, wounding about 100 U.S. military personnel .

2021-22: In July 2021, an oil tanker managed by an Israeli-owned shipping company was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members, according to the company and three Israeli officials. Two of the officials said that the attack appeared to have been carried out by Iranian drones.

Iran did not explicitly claim or deny responsibility, but a state-owned television channel described the episode as a response to an Israeli strike in Syria.

In November 2021, Israel killed Iran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , and followed up with the assassination of a Revolutionary Guards commander, Col. Sayad Khodayee , in May 2022.

December 2023: After Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault, Iranian-backed militias stepped up their own attacks . And late last year, Iran accused Israel of killing a high-level military figure, Brig. Gen. Sayyed Razi Mousavi , in a missile strike in Syria.

A senior adviser to the Revolutionary Guards, General Mousavi was described as having been a close associate of General Suleimani and was said to have helped oversee the shipment of arms to Hezbollah. Israel, adopting its customary stance, declined to comment directly on whether it was behind General Mousavi’s death.

January 2024: An explosion in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, killed Saleh al-Arouri , a Hamas leader, along with two commanders from that group’s armed wing, the first assassination of a top Hamas official outside the West Bank and Gaza in recent years. Officials from Hamas, Lebanon and the United States ascribed the blast to Israel , which did not publicly confirm involvement.

Hezbollah, which receives major support from Iran, stepped up its assaults on Israel after Mr. al-Arouri’s death. Israel’s military hit back at Hezbollah in Lebanon, killing several of the group’s commanders .

March: An Israeli drone strike hit a car in southern Lebanon, killing at least one person. Israel’s military said it had killed the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit. Hezbollah acknowledged the death of a man, Ali Abdulhassan Naim, but did not provide further details.

The same day, airstrikes killed soldiers near Aleppo, northern Syria, in what appeared to be one of the heaviest Israeli attacks in the country in years. The strikes killed 36 Syrian soldiers, seven Hezbollah fighters and a Syrian from a pro-Iran militia, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that tracks Syria’s civil war.

Israel’s military did not claim responsibility. But the country’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, wrote on social media, “We will pursue Hezbollah every place it operates and we will expand the pressure and the pace of the attacks.”

April: A strike on an Iranian Embassy building in Damascus on April 1 killed three top Iranian commanders and four officers. Iran blamed Israel and vowed to hit back forcefully.

Two weeks later, Tehran launched a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, an unexpectedly large-scale attack , although nearly all the weapons were shot down by Israel and allies. Israel said for days it would respond, before a strike on Friday hit a military air base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

Israel has commonly used exploding drones in attacks on Iran.

Iranian officials said that the Israeli strike on Friday morning was carried out by small exploding drones, a tactic that would follow a well-established pattern in Israeli attacks on Iranian military targets.

As Israel has targeted Iranian defense and military officials and infrastructure, small drones — specifically ones known as quadcopters — have been a signature of those operations. Quadcopter drones, so named because they have four rotors, have a short flight range and can explode on impact.

The drones might have been launched from inside Iran, whose radar systems had not detected unidentified aircraft entering Iranian airspace, Iranian officials said. If the drones were launched within the country, it demonstrates once again Israel’s ability to mount clandestine operations in Iranian territory .

Israel’s military has not commented on Friday’s strike. Though it rarely claims responsibility publicly for attacks against Iranian targets, several attacks in recent years have used drones:

August 2019: Israel sent an exploding drone into the heart of a Hezbollah-dominated neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon, to destroy what Israeli officials described as machinery used in the production of precision missiles.

June 2021: A quadcopter exploded outside Tehran at one of Iran’s main manufacturing centers for centrifuges, which purify uranium and are used at the country’s two major uranium enrichment facilities . Western officials have closely watched activity at those facilities for signs that Iran could be moving toward producing a nuclear weapon. Iran claimed that there had been no damage to the site outside Tehran, but satellite images showed evidence of significant damage.

February 2022: Six quadcopters exploded at Kermanshah, Iran’s main manufacturing and storage plant for military drones.

May 2022: A strike targeted the highly sensitive Parchin military site outside Tehran, where Iran develops missile, nuclear and drone technology. Quadcopter drones exploded into a building, killing an engineer and injuring another person, Iranians with knowledge of the attack said at the time.

January 2023: A drone attack on an Iranian military facility in January 2023 caused a large explosion in the center of Isfahan, the city near the air base that was struck on Friday. At the time, Iran made no effort to hide the fact that an attack had happened, but said it had done little damage. Iranian state media reported that drones had targeted an ammunition manufacturing plant but had been shot down by a surface-to-air defense system.

Michael Crowley

Traveling with Secretary Blinken

Blinken says the U.S. has not been involved in ‘offensive operations’ in Iran.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Friday that the United States “has not been involved in any offensive operations” in Iran when asked about Israel’s strike on the country on Friday, but he declined to comment further.

Mr. Blinken spoke on the last day of a meeting of Group of 7 ministers in Capri, Italy, where the agenda was dominated by the conflict in the Middle East, including the exchanges of strikes in the past week between Israel and Iran. In remarks to reporters before departing the island, Mr. Blinken said the G7 was unified in urging de-escalation between Iran and Israel to avoid a wider war.

But Mr. Blinken would not even directly confirm the Israeli strike, which appeared to be the country’s first military response to Iran’s attack last weekend, referring instead to “reported events,” and he would not say whether the United States had been notified in advance of the Israeli action. Shortly before he spoke, Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told reporters that the United States had been “informed at the last minute” of the Israeli strike.

“But there was no involvement on the part of the United States,” Mr. Tajani said. “It was simply information which was provided,” adding that he believed the G7’s collective efforts deserved credit for “the small scale of the event.”

Mr. Tajani did not say how he knew the United States had not been notified in advance, but he had recently come from a meeting with Mr. Blinken and other G7 ministers. A senior American official said on Friday that Israel had notified the United States through multiple channels shortly before its attack on Iran.

The G7 weighed in collectively in a statement concluding the three-day meeting, urging countries to prevent further escalation “in light of reports of strikes” on Friday. The G7 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union.

The statement also said that the member nations “condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack” on Israel.

“Israel and its people have our full solidarity and support and we reaffirm our commitment toward Israel’s security,” it added.

The G7 also issued a new warning to Tehran, demanding that “Iran and its affiliated groups cease their attacks” throughout the Middle East and saying that “we stand ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures.”

Mr. Blinken said of Iran that “degrading its missile and drone capabilities” was a key G7 goal.

Mr. Blinken also addressed the ongoing conflict in Gaza, pointing a finger at Hamas for the failure so far to reach a cease-fire deal that would include the release of Israeli prisoners.

“The only thing standing behind the Gaza people and a cease-fire is Hamas,” he said.

But he also addressed a major friction point with Israel, warning against what Israel says is its planned attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought shelter from fighting elsewhere in the enclave. Israel has said an invasion of Rafah is necessary to eliminate Hamas battalions in the city.

“We cannot support a major military operation in Rafah,” Mr. Blinken said. Mr. Blinken said that protecting and caring for civilians amid such an operation was “a monumental task for which we have yet to see a plan.”

Asked about the U.S. veto on Thursday of a United Nations Security Council resolution to recognize a Palestinian state, Mr. Blinken said that while the United States supports the creation of such a state, doing so requires negotiations and that the proposed resolution “will have no effect on actually moving things forward and achieving a Palestinian state.”

He added: “You can put something down on a piece of paper and wave it around. It has no effect. What does and can have an effect is actual diplomacy.”

Mr. Blinken also noted that, under U.S. law passed by Congress, U.N. acceptance of a Palestinian member state would require “cutting off all of our funding for the United Nations.”

The Iranian news media appear keen to show that things are “back to normal” in Isfahan. The official news agency, IRNA, published a gallery of photos — people strolling, shoppers at a market, a child with a soccer ball — that it said showed “normal life” in the city today. Flights at the Isfahan airport, which had been suspended for a few hours, have resumed, it said.

Joe Rennison

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Israel’s credit rating on Thursday evening, citing the confrontation with Iran. It lowered Israel’s rating to A+ from AA-. That’s still a high rating on a scale that runs from triple-A down to D.

Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran’s army, said explosions heard early Friday in Isfahan “were from our air defense firing at a suspicious object. There has been no damage from the incident.” He said that experts were investigating the episode.

Reporting from Jerusalem

World leaders call for de-escalation after Israel’s strike in Iran.

World leaders on Friday urged Israel and Iran to de-escalate tensions after Israel struck an Iranian military base, the latest salvo in a cycle of retaliation that has raised fears of a broader war in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain, whose military participated in defending Israel last weekend against Iran’s missile and drone attack, told reporters, “Significant escalation is not in anyone’s interests — what we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, told reporters during a visit to China, “It is absolutely essential that the region remains stable and that all sides refrain from further action.”

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said the Group of 7 nations — which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — had changed the agenda of its meeting Friday on the resort island of Capri to “address the Iran issue and put priority attention on the Middle East.”

“The political goal of the G7 is de-escalation,” Mr. Tajani said.

The government of Jordan, which has been criticized in the Arab world for playing a role in intercepting Iran’s attack last weekend, issued an especially pointed plea.

“Israeli-Iranian retaliations must end,” Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Friday. He urged the international community to turn its attention back to Gaza, where six months of Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion have killed over 33,000 people and led to extreme hunger in parts of the territory.

“The inhumane war on Gaza must end now,” Mr. Safadi said. “The focus of the world must remain on ending the catastrophic aggression on Gaza.”

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