First torrential rains and flash floods in the Beas and Parvati rivers, disrupted their peaceful stay in the tranquil mountain village at Kasol in July-August this year, and now the horror of the Israel-Hamas war has forced Israeli tourists to cut short their stays in the majestic Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh.
The development has come at a time when Himachal Pradesh is trying to hard sell its tourism potential internationally ahead of Kullu Dussehra, a week-long ancient festival known for its distinctive rituals and religious fervour. Reports suggest that Israeli tourists, numbering 2,000 to 2,500, who were particularly enjoying their post-flood stay at Kasol, Parvati Valley, Tosh, Manikaran, Khirganga, and old Manali — all renowned picturesque landscapes, have abruptly checked out from their hotels and homestays and are headed for their country. Normally, they return at the end of October or November from Kullu and McLeodganj and spend some winter months in Goa. But this time, they are headed straight to their homes.
Hamas, an Iran-backed Palestinian militant group, launched an unprecedented attack against Israel last Saturday, triggering a devastating response from the Israeli Army. The Hamas attack involved rocket attacks, infiltrations, and abductions, resulting in casualties and significant destruction.
In response, Israel retaliated with air attacks on Gaza, leading to casualties. This event marked an unprecedented display of capacity and terror by Hamas, seeking to counter-shape the regional order in West Asia.
Though many are not sure as to how and when they will reach their homes after the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, they have made a quiet move, admits Munish Thakur, a hotelier at Kasol. He says, “The footfall of the Israeli tourists was highest in the past three years. Though they faced some crisis during the floods and were also rescued by the local administration, shifted to safer places, and provided food, shelter, and water, they chose to come back to their favorite hotels and homestays.”
Another place where most Israelis spend their holidays and summer breaks is Dharamkot, McLeodganj – Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s abode near Dharamshala. Both Kasol and Dharamkot are sometimes also called ‘Tel Aviv of hills’ or ‘Mini Israel’— because of the large-scale presence of Israelis in these villages.
Yet following the dreaded attack on the civilians by Hamas last Saturday, most Israeli tourists canceled their stays and left for their country in groups. Some of them even went with their partners. “The attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas militants left us shocked and shattered. It is a shameful and horrifying incident. We have a duty towards our nation. So, some of us will be joining the action to protect our countrymen. I am going back to Israel to join the Army to defend my nation,” Danish Kanaji told reporters at Kullu.
He admits that he and many other Israeli tourists like him were enjoying their stay in the valley after the state witnessed an unprecedented natural calamity.
Noar, another tourist, said, “It is a great thing that India and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi have stood firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India unequivocally condemns the Hamas attack.”
Staying at Kasol, another tourist (name withheld) said his family lives in southern Israel and most of the companions are worried about the safety of near and dear ones. “There seems to a complete chaos all around,” he says. Local hoteliers claim that the development is a big setback to the tourism industry which gets a massive footfall of Israeli tourists every year.
The state's additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Abhishek Trivedi, when contacted, said DGP Sanjay Kundu has issued instructions to facilitate the movement of the Israeli tourists as they want to return home. “It’s difficult to give the exact number of Israeli tourists and backpackers. This is a fact that they were in Kullu and Kangra districts in good numbers and have now returned after the crisis in their country,” he confirmed.
Dharamkot is a small hippie village near McLeodganj which is ideal for Israeli tourists and also serves as a base for multiple treks such as to Triund, Illaqua, and Indrahar Pass.
