British diplomats told not to travel with Israelis
Foreign Office fears collateral damage from possible terror attacks; Israel asks for more protection for cruise ships abroad
Israelis and others called for extra security precautions this week as fears mounted that terrorists would attempt again to attack Israeli interests abroad.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the British Foreign Office cautioned its diplomats Wednesday not to travel in cars with Israelis, or meet them in public spaces. The warning comes in the wake of a spate of bombings with Israeli targets last week in New Delhi, Tbilisi and Bangkok.
In the same vein, the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi reportedly requested permission from Indian authorities to place civilian, rather than diplomatic, plates on official vehicles, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. Diplomatic plates in India include the flag of the state they represent. After last week’s bombing of an Israeli diplomatic car, Israeli officials are concerned the plates help make them more obvious targets.
Because of the increased threat to Israeli nationals after last week’s bombings, Israel also reportedly requested beefed-up security around Israeli cruise ships at Mediterranean ports of call, Maariv reported. The new security checks will include divers scanning the hulls of docked ships for attached explosive devices.