Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, are still at war. Fighting intensifies on the northern border amid heavy Hezbollah attacks. Currently, the situation is volatile and creates cause for concern for companies with assignees in the region. Weichert continues to work with our suppliers and destination service providers to assess resources and access to transportation.
Imposed security measures and alerts for at-risk employees impacted by this ongoing conflict.
The situation in Israel is rapidly changing, and our Supplier Solutions team is closely communicating with our supplier partners, who are acutely aware of the challenges that our clients, employees, and their families are facing there. We have been informed that service delivery (relocation, immigration, and household goods) is operating well without much disturbance, and we keep prioritizing safety and security above all else. Below is an overview of the situation with the most recent information provided to our teams.
Overall Situation:
The Israeli government has announced a state of emergency.
The Israeli Immigration and Population Administration has launched a new travel authorization system for visitors from visa-exempt countries (ETA-IL pilot), as of June 1st. During the pilot phase, holders of US and German passports will be able, on a voluntary basis only, to apply for the travel authorization and will be exempt from government charge. They system will formally open to visitors from all visas exempt countries on July 1st, 2024. The traveler will have to have a valid travel authorization before boarding the flight. The ETA-IL authorization isn’t a work permit. The list of visa exempt countries: https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/eligibilitynational/.
Those who are eligible will be able to travel to Israel, and stay for up to 90 days. An ETA-IL authorization will stay valid for up to 2 years, or until the current passport expires – whichever comes first.
For more information, please review MOI page: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/topics/eta-il/govil-landing-page.
Travel to Israel is somehow back to normal despite the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas/ Hezbollah.
There are no travel bans into this region currently in place, though some governments, like the United Kingdom and the United States, are advising against travel to the region in general and are saying not to travel to Gaza specifically (this information should be verified). Flights into and out of David Ben Gurion airport – Israel’s main international airport – are subject to delays and cancelations, with some airlines stopping flights into Israel.
Current Situation:
Employee Evacuations:
Most companies asked their foreign population to leave Israel temporarily, utilizing the company-preferred travel provider to oversee the flight booking. An example was cited in which a large employer arranged a flight to Greece and Cyprus for 50+ employees. From Cyprus and Greece, employees are booking their flights home. Foreign airlines have reduced the number of flights, and some are no longer offering services to Israel. Israeli airlines – ELAL, Israir, and Arkia have shuttle flights to Cyprus and Greece.
Employees Remaining in Israel:
Those staying in Israel will be reminded about the security protocol, mainly: “In the event that you hear alarms/sirens, please enter the MMD (apartment protected space or shelter room), a shelter, an internal stairwell, or a protected internal room. The doors and windows must be closed and locked.” They will be referred to the “Home Front Command” website and app: https://www.oref.org.il/en.
Recommendation:
If you are a foreign national currently in the Israel/Palestine region (or even in a neighboring country such as Lebanon or Jordan which could see fighting spill over into their countries) we recommend you register with your country’s embassy or consulate in case support is needed at any time. It is also important to keep a copy of your travel documents (copies of your passport, national ID cards, travel visas, work permits, etc.) with you at all times. Also monitor local media for real-time information on any potential disturbances in your immediate area.
Any clients considering relocation of employees out of Israel, both foreign nationals and local citizens, should confirm that their employees and any family members hold a valid biometric passport. This can be confirmed by identifying if the biometric symbol is present.
Current Situation:
The Home Front Command’s daily civil defense guidelines are divided into four levels, labeled by the colors green, yellow, orange and red (the Ramzor system). Each guideline area is classified by color based on these levels, from a green classification, which means that activity is being held as usual, up to a red classification, indicating that only essential activity for critical services is provided. The guidelines are based on a daily assessment of the situation in the Home Front Command, which takes into account the danger to the population in a particular geographical area and relates to educational activities, capacity limit at public gatherings, both indoors and outdoors, and workplace guidelines.
Current Situation:
Current Situation:
Current Leases:
Many assignees who were evacuated from Israel have ended their assignment and repatriated to their home country. Weichert’s DSPs have started to receive new authorizations for home finding support for new assignees coming to Israel, mostly for Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas. Early termination notice are always negotiated as part of the lease drafting process and Weichert’s DSPs have been successful in arranging this.
Companies have not indicated the need to release their long-term leases, and Weichert’s DSPs haven’t received any authorization for full departure services. Only a few assignees on short-term assignments were staying in temporary housing and will likely not return to complete the assignment. If they should return to the same area, our DSP is prepared to source a different housing solution for them in due course.
For customers wo have left Israel and are not returning, Weichert’s DSP can assist with closing out the apartments, arranging for someone to pack personal goods left behind including furniture they want shipped, as well as bank account closure and auto rentals returns.
Should it be required, Weichert’s DSP team is ready to deliver accompanied destination services on a virtual basis through RelocationOnline, our DSP technology platform.
Recommendation:
Advice from the Israeli government is for individuals to remain in areas where public shelters or house shelters are available.
Refer to our blog for insight into the core components of a comprehensive emergency preparation plan.
Weichert’s Visa & Immigration providers will post updates and can be accessed as follows:
Thank you to our supplier partners, including those in the region for providing updates on this quickly evolving situation: Newland Chase, Fragomen, Synergy Housing and Ocean Relocation. We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that our clients and their employees are well-informed throughout this crisis.