Israeli travelers stranded in Nepal as deadly protests shut down country

With deadly protests engulfing Nepal, hundreds of Israelis are believed to be stranded throughout the Himalayan country.

About 200 Israelis have sought shelter in Kathmandu’s Chabad House, with more asking for help all the time, according to Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz, co-director of Chabad in Kathmandu.

“We’ve been hearing shooting all day long. There has been a lot of violence,” Lifshitz told The Times of Israel in a phone call Tuesday evening. “Our center is in a closed place, so a lot of people have been coming here to find some peace. The roads are blocked, and people are stopping to ask where they can go. We know a lot of people who have gotten hurt in the fighting, and we are trying to help wherever we can.”

Tourists from Israel and around the world are stranded in Nepal after its main airport was closed due to the deteriorating situation. Nepal has long been a popular destination for Israeli backpackers.

Nepal is experiencing some of its worst political unrest in decades after protesters took to the streets.

The protests gained momentum after the use of lethal force by police on Monday left at least 19 dead and hundreds injured.

On Tuesday, rioters set fire to government buildings, including the federal parliament building in Kathmandu, as Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced his resignation.

The protests were sparked by a government decision to ban social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and X, in what the government said was an effort to clamp down on fake news and hate speech. However, they quickly escalated into a larger revolt against corruption among the political elite. Even a decision Monday night to roll back the ban did nothing to quell the anger on the streets.

Gilad, a backpacker traveling in Nepal with his daughter, told the Ynet news site that Israeli tourists were calling the protests “Kaplan 2,” a reference to the location of many anti-government protests in Tel Aviv, and generally staying far away from the fighting.

“A lot of Israelis are in the middle of a trek and there is uncertainty, but there is also an amazing bond between Israelis and a good atmosphere overall,” he said. “I have to leave for India on Sunday, and I don’t know if the airport will be operational again.”

Nepal has undergone numerous political upheavals in recent decades, with frequent episodes of political instability since it abolished its monarchy in 2008 to transition to a federal republic. But Lifshitz, who founded the Chabad House in Kathmandu in 2000, said he has never seen anything like this.

“I remember the two-year civil war in 2006 that led to the king’s removal, but the last 15 years or so have been relatively quiet,” he said. “I’ve never seen people burn down the parliament building or attack ministers’ homes. This is a big issue.”

The Chabad House is currently seeking donations to help cover the costs of the hot meals, accommodations, and other emergency assistance it is now providing.

Lifshitz said he is optimistic that the protests will come to an end relatively quickly, but he has a bias: For the Rosh Hashanah holiday in less than two weeks, Chabad of Nepal is preparing for more than 1,000 Israeli and Jewish tourists at its centers across the country.

In the 25 years since opening the Chabad of Nepal, Lifshitz, his wife Chani, and their six kids have hosted countless travelers for Jewish holidays, including more than 2,000 people at what has been called the largest Passover Seder in the world.

“We have crazy stories every day,” said Lifshitz, whose experiences in Nepal served as inspiration for the Israeli show “Kathmandu,” which can be seen on Netflix in Israel. “Often we provide equipment and supplies to people going hiking in the mountains, and sometimes we need to have helicopters sent to bring them down. People ask us for help all the time.”