Birthright has canceled 42 trips to Israel due to the tightening of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for travelers entering the country, making the 10-day tours impossible.
The canceled trips were scheduled to start arriving on August 11, the date on which the seven-day quarantine requirement for travelers entering Israel from the US goes into effect.
As a result, there would be no more trips during the summer season, Birthright said. Groups will not be coming in September due to the High Holy Days, while no decision has yet been made regarding tours scheduled for October.
“We anticipate that the seven-day quarantine rule will be temporary, and we look forward to resuming trips as soon as possible,” Birthright said in a press release. “Since the resumption of Birthright Israel trips in May 2021, we accommodated thousands of participants on an extremely safe and meaningful experience.”
In total, 3,900 participants have taken part in Birthright tours since the trips were resumed this May following tight government restrictions on foreign nationals entering the country.