The Israel advisory cites terrorism and civil unrest and tells travelers to install the Home Front Command Red Alert app for rocket and missile warnings; the August 26 reissue changed no levels. The West Bank advisory records an increase in attacks and Israeli military operations over the past year, says some incidents have injured or killed U.S. citizens, and warns that access can be restricted or placed under curfew with little notice. U.S. government staff may enter Bethlehem only between dawn and midnight, through Checkpoint 300.
On February 9, 2026 Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said: "It is time to return. Enough with emergencies; it is time to be courageous. One can come to the Holy Land, one must do so, Bethlehem and Jerusalem are safe." The Custos, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, repeated the call on January 8, 2026, noting that Bethlehem hotels were full at Christmas and that pilgrimages are a main source of income for the roughly 50,000 Christians in Israel and Palestine. These are pastoral appeals, not security guarantees.
Group operators manage the risk with written cancellation terms, a local Christian guide who adjusts the route day by day, and a 24-hour contact. Standard travel insurance usually excludes war and civil unrest, so a pilgrim who withdraws out of concern pays the operator's penalties unless a cancel-for-any-reason upgrade was bought early. The State Department advises an evacuation plan that does not depend on the U.S. government; its STEP alert program is free. The page on choosing a Catholic Holy Land tour covers what to ask an operator.