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In the run-up to the Jewish festival Pesach, when many Israelis go abroad, Counter-Terrorism Bureau of Israel released a new warning concerning the places the country’s residents are not encouraged to visit. Azerbaijan and Turkey are among them, Russian-language Israeli portal IzRus reports.

According to the new list published on the website of the Bureau, Turkey is one of the most dangerous places to visit, along with Pakistan and a number of African countries. Meanwhile, there are two post-Soviet republics on the list: Azerbaijan and the Russian republic Chechnya. The Israeli people are warned not to visit Azerbaijan without any special necessity. The threat level in Chechnya is considered high, and the Israeli people are urged to immediately leave that country.

This is far not the first official warning Israel makes regarding avoiding visits to Azerbaijan. The latest warning of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau of Israel was released in August 2015, in the run-up to the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah).

Back in August 2013, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau of Israel to the Israeli Prime Minister called on its citizens not to visit a number of countries, including Azerbaijan. On July 19, 2011, the Bureau warned its compatriots against visiting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Later on, the Operations Division of the General Staff of IDF (Defense Army of Israel) published an order banning officers and warrant officers of IDF (Tsahal) from traveling to 36 countries and regions, including Azerbaijan.

In addition, in February 2011, Israel’s embassy in Baku suspended its work due to threats of terrorist attacks. It came after the Counter-Terrorism Bureau released a warning about the plans of the Shia militant group Hezbollah to attack Israelis and recommended the residents of the country to avoid visiting several countries in connection with another anniversary of powerful militants’ (ImadMughniyeh and Abbas al Musawi) elimination.

In February 2012, a ban on visiting the southern CIS countries, including Azerbaijan, was imposed on Israeli state employees by the order of the Israel Security Agency (Shabak).